Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the United States was “not aware of or involved” in the targeted killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran hours earlier.
The American diplomat spoke in an interview with Channel News Asia during a two-day diplomatic swing to Singapore, stressing the importance of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Blinken did not comment directly when asked by an audience member at a diplomatic forum with Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large Chan Heng Chee about the death of Haniyeh, while discussing the administration’s work to halt hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
“I think that nothing takes away from the importance of getting to the ceasefire,” he said, arguing that a truce between Israel and Hamas is critical to preventing a regional conflagration and to “getting to a better place” in the Middle East.
“I’m not going to speculate on what impact any one event might have on that. I’ve learned over many years never to speculate on that because we really don’t know,” he added. “What I do know is the enduring imperative of getting the ceasefire.”
The White House said early Wednesday that it was aware of the death of Haniyeh, but did not comment further.
“The White House has seen the reports of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh being killed in Iran, a spokesperson said, but declined to immediately comment further,” according to CNN.
Also on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in the Philippines that a wider war was not inevitable and that the United States would defend Israel if it were attacked.
Haniyeh’s death comes as a U.S. delegation led by Brett McGurk, the White House’s top Middle East adviser, is in Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation in Yemen and the recent escalation between Israel and the Houthis.
Austin stresses U.S. support for Israel’s security
Austin spoke with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday about the escalating tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon, stressing American support for Israel’s security.
The two men discussed Israel’s response to the Iranian terror proxy’s July 27 attack that killed 12 children in the Golan Heights, which involved a targeted strike in Beirut that killedsenior Hezbollah official Fu’ad Shukar.
“They discussed the threats to Israel posed by a range of Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hizballah,” according to the Pentagon’s readout of the call.
“Secretary Austin reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense. They also discussed ongoing efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution that enables citizens on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border to safely return to their homes.”
