US Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues tour of Middle East | BBC News

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is continuing his diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, in a bid to prevent a regional escalation due to the conflict in Gaza.

Blinken will hold talks in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on containing the international shipping threat in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels.

He will then travel to Israel, after warning that the Gaza conflict could spread across the region without concerted peace efforts.

Blinken started the five-day Middle East diplomatic effort in Jordan and Qatar on Sunday, seeking to avert wider unrest in the region.