"Blinken in High-Stakes Mideast Diplomacy to Avert Regional Conflict Amid Gaza Tensions"

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a diplomatic mission in the Middle East, starting in Turkey, to address the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas and to discuss regional stability, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction in Gaza. Blinken met with Turkish leaders to seek support for easing tensions and discussed Turkey's role in NATO, including the ratification of Sweden's membership. The trip includes visits to several Middle Eastern countries, with a focus on preventing the Israel-Hamas war from widening and promoting a two-state solution.