WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken
has asked China’s foreign minister and other counterparts to use their influence to dissuade
Iran
from striking Israel, the State Department said Thursday.
Blinken spoke by telephone over the past day to his Chinese, Turkish, Saudi and European counterparts “to make clear that escalation is not in anyone’s interest and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
Blinken also spoke by telephone with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant “to reiterate our strong support for Israel against these threats,” Miller said.
Iran’s clerical leadership has vowed to retaliate after an Israeli strike on April 1 leveled an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus, killing seven members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards including two generals.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that the
United States
has “warned” Iran over its threats to Israel.
President
Joe Biden
said Wednesday that US support for Israel’s security was “ironclad,” despite his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct of the war in Gaza.
The United States has repeatedly made public appeals for China, seen as its top long-term global rival, to do more to address the
Middle East crisis
, including through pressure on Iran, which supports Hamas.
Beijing in turn has criticized the United States as biased toward Israel.
