US sends message to Iran at 'critical moment' in Middle East

Washington [US], August 6: Reuters on August 6 quoted a US State Department spokesman as saying that the US has called on countries through diplomatic channels to convey to Iran the message that escalation in the Middle East is not beneficial.
The statement was made in the context of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that the Middle East is at a "critical moment".
Mr Blinken said Washington had been "engaged in intense, almost round-the-clock diplomacy" to help ease tensions, amid concerns that Iran was preparing a retaliatory attack on Israel.
"All sides must refrain from escalation. All sides must take steps to de-escalate tensions. Escalation is not in the interests of any side. It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more instability," the diplomat said.
Secretary of State Blinken also called on all sides to "break the vicious cycle" of violence and agree to a ceasefire in the conflict in Gaza.
"What is really important is that all parties find a way to reach an agreement, not find reasons to delay or say no. It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead," he stressed.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran on July 31, prompting threats of retaliation from Iran against Israel and raising further concerns that the conflict in the Gaza Strip is turning into a wider war in the Middle East.
Iran has blamed Israel and vowed to "punish" it, while Israeli officials have yet to accept responsibility for the assassination. Iran supports Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah's senior military commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last week.
The White House said US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed by their national security team on the situation in the Middle East , including threats from Iran and its proxies to Israel and US military personnel.
Mr Biden and Ms Harris were also briefed on US efforts to provide military support to Israel if it comes under attack and diplomatic efforts to "de-escalate tensions in the region", as well as reach a ceasefire and release hostages in Gaza.
In another development, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told a senior ally of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin that Tehran was determined to expand ties with "strategic partner Russia".
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu met with the Iranian president and senior security officials as Iran considered its response to the assassination of a Hamas leader. "Russia is one of the countries that stood by the Iranian nation in difficult times," Pezeshkian told Shoigu at the meeting.
The Iranian president said the common stance between the two countries "in promoting a multipolar world will certainly lead to greater global security and peace".
In addition, Mr. Pezeshkian said that Israel's "criminal actions" in Gaza and the assassination of Mr. Haniyeh "are clear examples of violations of all international laws and regulations."
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper