US SecState cancels scheduled visit to 'Israel' at 'inauspicious time'
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A senior Israeli politician hypothesizes that thecancellation may be a technical one, but its sensitive timing cannot be ignored,"
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Israeli Occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Occupied Al-Quds, January 30, 2023 (Reuters)
Israeli media reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a scheduled visit to "Israel". Israeli Channel 13 reported that Blinken "was supposed to make a quick visit to Israel as part of a visit to the region, but he decided to cancel".
Israeli media also quoted a senior politician saying that Blinken's cancellation of the scheduled visit comes at a very inauspicious time.
"The cancellation may be a technical one, but its inauspicious timing cannot be disregarded," the senior Israeli politician was quoted saying. He hypothesized that the Americans are trying to dodge discussions about the Iranian nuclear deal until after the elections.
Read more: Blinken: US will judge Netanyahu government according to actions
Back in early May, Senior Middle East advisor to US President Joe Biden, Brett McGurk, traveled to Muscat to discuss with Omani authorities, prospective diplomatic outreach, in the shape of an Omani mediation, to Iran about its nuclear program, according to five US, Israeli, and European sources, as reported by Axios.
McGurk's Muscat trip followed a series of trips that started in Saudi Arabia wherein the Middle East Advisor was accompanied by Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, reported Axios, which cited four Israeli and US officials as saying that the Riyadh trip was succeeded by a trip to "Israel".
According to the outlet, the two US advisors flew to "Israel" to allegedly brief Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on US talks in Saudi Arabia.
This was significant because previously, the Biden administration expressed grave concern regarding Iranian advances in the nuclear program, which the US claimed could be a cause for regional military escalations.
