Secretary of State Blinken headed to Middle East, Europe amid war in Gaza

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will depart Thursday on his fourth trip to the Middle East since Oct. 7, including two stops in Europe, according to the State Department.

Blinken will visit Türkiye, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Egypt for meetings with foreign counterparts to discuss a “number of critical issues,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

He will discuss immediate measures to increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza, said Miller, adding that Blinken will also discuss Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hamas following attacks by the Palestinian resistance group on Oct. 7.

Ongoing efforts to release the remaining hostages will also be on Blinken’s agenda, Miller said.

Blinken will also raise the need to take steps to deter Houthis' attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, according to Miller.

In Türkiye, Blinken will discuss regional cooperation, including final steps to complete Türkiye’s ratification of Sweden's accession to NATO, said Miller.

In Greece, he will focus on support for Ukraine and safeguarding regional, regional maritime security, he added.

“We don't expect every conversation on this trip to be easy. There are obviously tough issues facing the region and difficult choices ahead,” said Miller. “But the Secretary believes it is the responsibility of the United States of America to lead diplomatic efforts to tackle those challenges head on, and he's prepared to do that in the days to come.”