United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made a surprise visit to Iraq amid growing fears that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a broader regional conflict. He held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday as Washington seeks Baghdad’s help in cracking down on attacks on US forces that it has blamed on Iran-backed groups. Al-Sudani, whose government has close ties with Iran but has publicly condemned attacks on US forces in his country, reiterated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and pointed to “the urgency of containing the crisis and preventing its spread”, his office said in a statement. On Sunday night, Blinken arrived in Turkey where he is expected to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, amid warnings by the Iran-backed group Kataib Hezbollah that the diplomat’s visit would be met with “an unprecedented escalation”.

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/6/us-blinken-makes-unannounced-visit-to-iraq-amid-fears-of-regional-conflict