Paris: French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sejourne and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed their concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East during a phone call on Saturday, according to a statement from the French Foreign Ministry.
The two officials emphasized the need for all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid a regional crisis with severe repercussions for peace and stability. Their discussion focused on the urgent need for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.
“They agreed to continue calling on all parties to exercise the greatest restraint to prevent any regional upheaval that could have devastating consequences for countries in the region and for peace prospects, starting with a lasting ceasefire in Gaza,” the statement conveyed.
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The recent spike in tensions follows the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, which came just a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
