Antony Blinken: Blinken's visit to Iraq amid Israel-Hamas war; Discussed these issues with PM Al-Sudani
Blinken's meeting with al-Sudani in Baghdad lasted more than an hour. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has also issued a statement regarding the meeting of the two.
Time to Read 3 Min
The war between Israel and Hamas has been going on for more than three weeks. Many countries have called for its closure. Meanwhile, on Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Iraq without any prior planning. He held discussions with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. During this, there was discussion between the two about the need to stop the Israel-Hamas conflict.
According to reports, Blinken's meeting with al-Sudani in Baghdad lasted for more than an hour. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has also issued a statement regarding the meeting of the two. It said the two leaders discussed the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the need to prevent the conflict from spreading to Iraq.
Speaking to reporters after this meeting, the US Secretary of State said that his discussion with Prime Minister Al-Sudani was good and meaningful. He made clear that attacks by Iran-backed militias against US personnel are completely unacceptable.
During this he also discussed the situation in Gaza. He said there is a process for negotiating a humanitarian pause in the fighting, but the US and Israel will be meeting on Sunday to work out the specifics and practicalities of these pauses.
According to the State Department, Blinken discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Washington's continued commitment to coordinating with Iraq and our other partners in the region to ensure continued and secure access to food, water, medical care and other essential assistance. of. During this, the two leaders also discussed the need to ensure that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced outside Gaza. During this period, the US Secretary of State also visited the US Embassy in Iraq. Here he received a security briefing about the threat to American facilities.
At the same time, just hours after his visit to Iraq, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reached Turkey on Monday. Here he will hold a major diplomatic meeting. Blinken has so far visited Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, Cyprus and Iraq as part of his whirlwind diplomatic trip.
It is noteworthy that after the Hamas attack on October 7, Iran-backed groups have increased attacks targeting American soldiers in Iraq and Syria. In this context, Blinken said that we need to stop this conflict from escalating. Earlier, Blinken had suddenly reached the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday. His surprise visit amidst high level security has become the center of discussion. During this he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The situation here had deteriorated due to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza since October 7. Blinken had visited Israel since the war began. However, this was his first visit to the West Bank.
Let us tell you that the situation in Gaza remains unstable, Israel is pressurizing for the release of the hostages. Netanyahu's government continues to reject calls for an immediate ceasefire. Meanwhile, Israel's heavy bombardment on Gaza has intensified. In the last 24 hours, more than 50 people have been killed in alleged Israeli attacks on three refugee camps. At least 9,770 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the violent conflict began on October 7. According to Al Jazeera report, more than 1,400 people have died in Israel.
