Conflict in the Middle East: US Secretary of State Blinken holds talks in Jordan and Qatar Hole in the plane wall – Alaska Airlines flight has to make an emergency landing

“Jordan is a critical partner in helping prevent the conflict from spreading in the region,” Blinken’s spokesman Matthew Miller wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday evening after Blinken’s arrival in Amman. The United States is grateful to the kingdom, which borders Israel, for its leading role in providing aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip.

After meetings with Jordanian Foreign Minister Aiman ​​Safadi and King Abdullah II, Blinken wanted to travel to Qatar on Sunday. In Doha, his program included talks with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Goal: de-escalation in the Middle East

Blinken is once again traveling to the Middle East to talk to several countries in the region about de-escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Islamist organization Hamas.

Since the deadly terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7 last year, the Israeli army has been fighting the Islamists in the Gaza Strip with an offensive. In the coming days, Blinken also plans to visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Egypt.

Before arriving in Jordan, the US Secretary of State visited Turkey and the Greek island of Crete on Saturday. According to Blinken spokesman Miller, the US sees Turkey playing a crucial role in addressing regional security issues. This includes preventing the conflict in Gaza from spreading. According to Greek television, Blinken spoke with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about the situation in the Middle East and military cooperation between the two NATO partners.

Jordanian King: “Catastrophic impact” of Gaza attacks

Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned of the “catastrophic consequences” of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The “tragic humanitarian crisis” there must end, Abdullah II said, the royal court said at Sunday’s meeting.

The US should seek an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and the appropriate delivery of relief supplies. There will be no stability in the region without a just solution to the Palestinian issue. The forcible expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip is a clear violation of international law. Jordan is one of many stops on the US Secretary of State’s trip to the Middle East, which is marked by the Gaza war. On Sunday he wanted to travel to Qatar, where talks with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, were scheduled. (sda/dpa)