Ahmad 
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Friday evening in the Turkish city of Istanbul, the first stop of a tour of the Middle East centered on the war in Gaza.
After Turkey, Blinken is scheduled to travel to several countries in the region, including Israel and the West Bank, as well as five Arab countries – Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to Greece, and the talks will focus on the recent war in the Gaza Strip and its potential effects on the region.
This round comes in light of growing fears of the possibility of large-scale confrontations between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel, against the backdrop of the assassination of the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, in Lebanon.
A US State Department official stressed that “communicating with Iran with the aim of avoiding an escalation of conflict in the region is one of the axes of this diplomatic round.”
Blinken recently indicated his willingness to participate in settlement efforts in Gaza, with a focus on the protection of civilians and effective cooperation with partners to ensure the release of Israeli detainees, as well as to ensure the continued delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave.