Washington Doesn’t Want Escalation With Iran but Will Continue Defending Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed Monday that Washington does not want to see any escalation in hostilities with Iran but will continue to defend Israel after Tehran's attack in response to the targeting of its consulate in Damascus.

Blinken said at the outset of a meeting with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Tamim, "We don't want escalation but we will continue to defend Israel and protect our crews in the region."