ReutersCopyright: Reuters

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returns to the Middle East on his fifth visit since the start of the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza, in response to the Hamas attacks in Israel last October. He faces a multitude of challenges and growing American involvement in hostilities in the region.

At the top of his agenda will be difficult talks for a deal to allow the release of some of the more than 100 hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza and a pause in hostilities for the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid for civilians in the territory. At the same time, he will face concerns from some in the region who believe the latest American actions against Iran and its proxies are fuelling violence, and not defusing it.

Over the weekend, the US attacked dozens of Iranian interests in Iraq and Syria, in response to an attack on a US base in Jordan that killed three American soldiers. The White House says those strikes were just the beginning, and that more will come. In Yemen, the US-led campaign against the Houthis continues, to reduce their ability to attack commercial vessels in the Red Sea that have caused major disruption to global trade.

The American attacks have been calibrated, apparently to avoid escalating tensions even further. So far, the response from Iran and its proxies in Iraq and Syria has been muted. It could be an early indication that Tehran might have opted to de-escalate, rather than retaliate.

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