Blinken tells Jewish leaders the United States does not want Israel to ‘escalate’ after Iran attack

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Biden administration does not want tensions between Iran and Israel to “escalate” after Iran’s massive attack on Israel over the weekend, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told American Jewish leaders.

Blinken called the meeting at the State Department on Tuesday morning as Israel contemplates how and when to retaliate against Iran. Blinken underscored how eager the Biden Administration is for the Israel-Hamas war not to spread across the region.

“We understand and appreciate why the Israelis feel like they must respond,” Blinken…