
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head Thursday to the Middle East as fears mount that Israel's war in Gaza will spread across the region, following deadly blasts in Iran and the killing of a Hamas leader in Lebanon.
A US official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed the trip -- Blinken's fourth to the region since the start of Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip -- but declined to offer any details on the itinerary apart from a stop in Israel.