VIENTIANE: In a bid to contain rising tensions in the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States is taking significant steps to prevent the ongoing conflict between Israel, Hezbollah, and Hamas from escalating further across the Middle East.
Speaking at a press conference after attending the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane, Blinken stressed that the US is employing both deterrence and diplomacy to manage the volatile situation.
“We are working very hard, every day, through deterrence and diplomacy, to prevent these conflicts from spreading,” Blinken said.
He added that concerns about the Middle East were discussed with other world leaders attending the ASEAN meetings, where he reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to defusing the situation and countering what he described as an Iranian-led “axis of resistance.”
Blinken also expressed the US’s ongoing support for Lebanon, emphasising the importance of strengthening the Lebanese state amidst the country’s long-standing political influence by Hezbollah.
“The people of Lebanon have a strong interest in their state asserting itself and taking responsibility for the country’s future,“ he said.
On the humanitarian front, Blinken said the US is actively engaging with Israel to ensure that the humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza are met during the conflict.
In addition, Blinken reassured ASEAN leaders of the US’s unwavering commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, despite the uncertainties of the upcoming US presidential election.
“Our focus on this region remains intense and vital to our national interest. I believe that this basic approach will continue, irrespective of who’s president,“ he added, citing bipartisan support for engagement in the Indo-Pacific across both houses of the US Congress.
