Last-minute peace talks: Blinken reaches out to Middle East allies
US Secretary of State makes urgent calls to Arab partners about Gaza and Lebanon situations. Final diplomatic push comes as Biden administration prepares for upcoming transition
The Biden team is making its final peace-building efforts as Antony Blinken connects with key middle-eastern partners on 11/08/24. The Secretary of Stateʼs fast-paced diplomatic outreach focuses on ending conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon despite the looming govt transition
In a series of high-level talks Blinken contacted leaders from several nations; discussing ways to stop fighting and help civilians. His chat with Prince Faisal bin Farhan of Saudi Arabia covered important topics:
- Getting hostages back home safe
- Making plans for Gazaʼs future
- Setting up better local management
- Getting construction work started
During his talk with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed (UAEʼs foreign minister) Blinken focused on finding ways to let people near the Blue Line go back to their houses. The diplomatic push includes talks with European allies too - just yesterday Blinken spoke with Jean-Noel Barrot from France about these same issues
The current administrationʼs influence might be limited because of the upcoming change in leadership but theyʼre still trying to reach deals before time runs out. Their work shows how complex middle-east peace-making is - requiring talks with many different countries and careful timing
