Blinken spoke to Turkish, Chinese, Saudi Arabian counterparts on avoiding escalation in Middle East

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to the Turkish, Chinese and Saudi Arabian foreign ministers in the past 24 hours to make clear that escalation in the Middle East is not in anyone's interest, the State Department said on Thursday amid concerns that Iran will strike Israel in retaliation for a strike in Damascus.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at a regular news briefing that Washington continues to be concerned about the risk of escalation in the region, specifically after threats made by Iran toward Israel.