US and France Urge Restraint in Lebanon and Iran to Prevent Further Tensions

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna have agreed to collaborate on measures to prevent the conflict in Gaza from escalating into a broader Middle East war. This agreement comes in the wake of recent strikes in Lebanon and Iran, as reported by the State Department.

During a phone conversation, the diplomats emphasized the need for proactive steps to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and to avoid further hostilities in Lebanon and Iran, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

This discussion occurred just before Blinken’s upcoming Middle East visit, his fourth since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which led to significant Israeli military action in Gaza.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Israel to restrain its activities, especially in Lebanon, where a strike on Tuesday, suspected to be Israeli, resulted in the death of a senior Hamas leader.

The United States, while not having prior knowledge of the Lebanon strike, labeled the deceased Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri as a “brutal terrorist.”

Meanwhile, in Iran, a nation that supports Hamas, two explosions on Wednesday claimed at least 84 lives during a commemoration of Revolutionary Guard General Qasem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a U.S. operation four years ago. A U.S. official indicated that these attacks seemed characteristic of the Islamic State extremist group, which opposes Shiite-majority Iran, and denied any involvement by the United States or Israel.