Publish Date: 8 January 2024 - 08:35

TEHRAN, Jan. 08 (MNA) – Qatar has warned US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken that Israel’s genocidal onslaught on the Gaza Strip is expanding across the region.

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani issued the warning while meeting Blinken who in on the West Asia tour to discuss the Gaza war with Washington’s key regional allies.

"Unfortunately, the domain of conflict and war in the region is expanding”, Sheikh Bin Abdulrahman told Blinken on Sunday. "It is very painful as we have reached a stage where the scenes of murder and destruction in Gaza have become normal”, he added.

The Qatari Prime Minister said that he and the US Secretary of State exchanged views on how to prevent the expansion of the war in the region. He said that the two sides emphasized the importance of applying pressure to stop the war and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

“Peace in the region will not be achieved without a fair and comprehensive compromise within the framework of international laws”, The Qatari official underlined.

For his part, Blinken also acknowledged that the conflict could spread. “This is a moment of profound tension in the region. This is a conflict that could easily metastasise, causing even more insecurity and even more suffering,” he told a news conference alongside the Qatari prime minister. 

The US secretary of state is on his fourth trip to West Asia since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7. The US government is facing criticism at home and abroad for its unwavering support for the occupation regime and for vetoing several UN resolutions to establish a ceasefire in Gaza.   

Blinken has already visited Jordan, Turkey, and Greece on the tour which will also include stops in Tel Aviv, the occupied West Bank, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

MP/IRN