Antony Blinken back in the Middle East as Israel crisis rages on: 8 countries on tour list

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his fourth trip to the Middle East since October 7, 2023 as the Israel-Palestine crisis continues unabated.

Antony Blinken’s shuttle diplomacy

The top US diplomat will begin a weeklong trip from January 5-10 and will visit Israel and the West Bank; as well as Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. He also will make stops in Turkey and Greece, reported Reuters.

Blinken will be joined on his trip by Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to US President Joe Biden.

“We don’t expect every conversation on this trip to be easy,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. “There are obviously tough issues facing the region and difficult choices ahead. But the secretary believes it is the responsibility of the United States of America to lead diplomatic efforts to tackle those challenges head on, and he’s prepared to do that in the days to come.”

The Israel crisis has seen more than 22,000 killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Blinken, as he began his tour, wrote on social media platform X, “’I’m returning to the region to engage in additional diplomacy on the situation in Gaza. I will continue to urge the protection of civilian life and work intensely with partners to secure the release of hostages and ensure sustained delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza.”

Tensions in the Red Sea

Blinken’s visit to the region comes amid an escalation to the crisis as Houthis in Yemen target merchant vessels navigating the Red Sea on their journey to Israel and beyond.

The International Chamber of Shipping says 20 per cent of the world’s container ships have changed shipping routes to avoid the Red Sea and are taking the longer route around Africa instead. “Industry is extremely concerned about these attacks on shipping and is understood to be considering additional actions which could lead to further ships diverting to this route, with further potential impacts on trade,” the industry body said in its December statement.

Shipping giant Maersk paused operations in the Red Sea at the start of the week after US forces targeted Houthi vessels. Firms including CH Robinson, Evergreen, HMM, Ocean Network Express, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Yang Ming Marine Transport are planning to avoid the Red Sea, reported Al Jazeera.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have launched drones and missiles at more than 20 ships since November 19.

The US, has in recent days, targeted Houthis and their vessels in the Bab al-Mandab strait, to protect commercial ships and their crews. This narrow strip of sea is a critical logistics waterway that witnesses almost 12 per cent of global trade pass through it annually. If tensions continue, the fear is that supply chains will be damaged impacting fuel prices. At the start of the tensions, the US had sent two aircraft carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean to serve as a deterrent.

In a recent joint statement, 12 countries – Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK and the US – called the attacks on shipping “illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilising” and said there was “no lawful justification for intentionally targeting civilian shipping and naval vessels”, reported the BBC.

These attacks have been followed by recent explosions in Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq.