Washington, 14 August 2024 (TDI): The United States is aiming “to turn the temperature down” in the Middle East, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations has said, as fears of an Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel loom.
On Tuesday, Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) the US wanted to deter and defend against any attack and avoid regional conflict.
There are fears Tehran could retaliate against Israel following July’s killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran – something Israel has not taken responsibility for.
US President Joe Biden suggested reaching a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza could help deter Tehran from launching an attack on Israel.
“That is my expectation but we will see,” he said when asked by a reporter on Tuesday.
“We will see what Tehran does and we will see what happens if there is any attack, but I am not giving up,” he said, while exiting his plane during a trip to New Orleans, Louisiana.
A new round of ceasefire negotiations is scheduled to take place in either Cairo or Doha on Thursday.
But Hamas official Ahmad Abdul Hadi has reportedly said it will not take part in the discussions, according to reports in US media.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his visit to the Middle East on Tuesday to attend the talks on ending the war in Gaza.
International mediators from the US, Qatar, and Egypt have been pushing for a ceasefire agreement that would see Israeli hostages released to their families and Palestinian civilians returned to their homes.
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Meanwhile, Washington has also approved a shipment of arms sales worth 20 billion dollars to Israel – the arms will take years to reach Israel.
At the Security Council meeting in New York, Thomas-Greenfield urged for a ceasefire agreement to be finalised.
She said that a broader regional conflict was not inevitable.
The United States’ goal is to turn the temperature down in Middle East, deter and defend against any attacks, and avoid regional conflict, she added.
