Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he’s focused on preventing a wider conflict during a moment of "profound tension" in the Middle East that could "easily metastasize."
"We have been intensely focused on working to prevent the conflict from spreading," Blinken said Sunday during a news conference in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
Al-Thani also warned of an escalation of conflicts in the region and specifically condemned recent strikes in Beirut and Syria.
“Recent events that we have witnessed within Lebanon or Syria, unfortunately, are a violation to the sovereignty of those countries and we can see also continuous violations. Our main target or purpose is to stop this war and to avoid the bigger escalation in the region,” he said.
Al-Thani reiterated his calls for a ceasefire and said it would have a “positive implication” on the region.
Blinken skirted a question about whether Arab countries were correct in calling for a ceasefire. He said the US wanted to ensure the October 7 attacks would not happen again, which "means dealing with the threat that Hamas continues to pose.”
“But as we've made clear also from day one, it's imperative that in dealing with this very, very difficult challenge, that it do so in a way that puts a premium on protecting civilians. Making sure that people get the assistance they need,” Blinken added, speaking of Israel’s war against Hamas.
In response to a question about whether the US should make providing weapons to Israel conditional, Blinken said they will continue to make sure any US military assistance is used in accordance with international law.