US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is reportedly postponing a key trip to the Middle East amid “uncertainty” caused by Iran considering launching an attack on Israel.
Blinken, 62, was due to visit the region on Tuesday ahead of talks scheduled for later this week between Qatar, Egypt and the United States to present a plan to implement a ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas war.
“Due to the uncertainty of the situation, he has postponed his Middle East trip and will not be visiting the region tonight as planned,” a senior Biden administration official said. Axios reported he said Tuesday, citing multiple sources.
In response to a request for comment, the State Department referred The Washington Post to remarks made by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Vedant Patel at a press conference on Tuesday, in which he said “there is no travel at this time that Secretary Blinken would be notified of in advance.”
“What I can say is that with regards to the Middle East region, the Secretary of State is very focused on the region through his calls with his colleagues and other leaders,” Patel added.
“He has repeatedly conveyed the same message by phone in recent weeks — that a ceasefire agreement is close to being reached and is essential for the release of the remaining hostages, including American citizens.”
The region has been on high alert for more than a week, with Israel anticipating retaliatory attacks by Iran and its proxies in connection with the recent assassinations in Tehran of Hamas supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah is reportedly expected to attack Israel within the next few days.
Meanwhile, Israeli and U.S. officials believe an Iranian attack this week is increasingly likely ahead of ceasefire and hostage negotiations on Thursday.
The Iranian regime has taken “significant preparatory steps for its missile and drone forces,” mirroring actions prior to its attacks on Israeli, US and US officials in April. He told Axios.
A senior Biden administration official told reporters last week that an Iranian attack on the Jewish state would dash “any hope” of reaching a ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
On Tuesday, Hamas launched its second attack in months on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, firing two long-range missiles. No casualties were reported.
The terror group said it would not take part in Thursday’s talks unless Israel agreed to a permanent end to the war in Gaza.
