Statements on Rising Tensions in the Middle East
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller answered questions from reporters at his daily press briefing about the escalating tensions in the Middle East following the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh. Miller said that they have conveyed “consistent messages” to the Iranian government through diplomatic contacts that “escalating tensions does not serve their interests” and that the United States is “committed to protecting Israel.”
Miller said a wider Middle East conflict was “inevitable” but that the US would “continue to work” to prevent it. He also said that escalating tensions was in no one’s interest in the region. “But of course we are prepared for all possibilities. That’s the way things have been since October 7,” Miller said.
US Contacts in the Region
Spokesman Matthew Miller reported that Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdulati today about tensions in the Middle East. Miller stated that Blinken emphasized that “the region is going through a critical period and the importance of the parties avoiding escalating tensions.”
“The Secretary also made clear that the United States sees these engagements as a critical step toward addressing broader tensions, as well as achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, and addressing the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Miller said. .
“Any additional Iranian action would not only increase the risk of escalation, but it would also increase the likelihood of further responses from Israel or others,” Miller said. “This could put us in a position where we have been concerned from the beginning about a conflict that could spiral out of control.”
