US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday and Tuesday on efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and prevent a larger regional conflict, the State Department said.
Blinken, who will depart Sunday, will meet with ministers from the bloc of Gulf Arab states on his first trip to the region since the long shadow war between their regional rival Iran and US ally Israel escalated into direct conflict.
Blinken will "discuss ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of hostages and how it is Hamas that is standing between the Palestinian people and a ceasefire," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Blinken will "emphasize the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading and discuss ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace and security in the region," he said.
Before Hamas on October 7 carried out the deadliest attack ever on Israel, Saudi Arabia had been discussing normalization with Israel -- a landmark step by the guardian of Islam's two holiest sites.
It will be Blinken's fifth visit to Saudi Arabia since October 7 as the
United States hopes to dangle the prospect of normalization to encourage moderation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime opponent of a Palestinian state.