US Secretary of State delays Middle East trip amid Gaza ceasefire talks

Shafaq News/ Axios reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his scheduled trip to the Middle East on Tuesday, ahead of ceasefire talks in Gaza later this week.

Sources cited by the site mentioned that the delay was due to "the ambiguous situation."

On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani received a phone call from Blinken, during which they discussed regional developments and efforts to support stability both regionally and internationally. Blinken's trip, which was planned to include visits to Qatar, Egypt, and Israel, is now delayed.

On Tuesday, Iran rejected calls from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to refrain from retaliatory attacks that could further escalate regional tensions.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a joint statement on Monday supporting ongoing mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the US to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. US officials indicated that the talks are still expected to proceed on Thursday as planned.