We continue to work intensely to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and to prevent the spread of conflict, U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said during his remarks with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at a Joint Press Availability.
“Over the past few days, we’ve been in constant contact with partners in the region and well beyond. In those conversations, we’ve heard a clear consensus: no one should escalate this conflict.
We’ve been engaged in intense diplomacy with allies and partners, communicating that message directly to Iran. We communicated that message directly to Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad. We will continue to defend Israel against attacks from terrorist groups or their sponsors, just as we’ll continue to defend our troops. But everyone in the region should understand that further attacks only perpetuate conflict, instability, insecurity for everyone. And further attacks only raise the risk of dangerous outcomes that no one can predict and no one can fully control. It’s urgent that everyone in the region take stock of the situation, understand the risk of miscalculation, and make decisions that will calm tensions, not exacerbate them”, Blinken said.
