Blinken to Abbas: US Backs Two-state Solution

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Reuters
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Reuters
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Blinken to Abbas: US Backs Two-state Solution

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Reuters
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Reuters

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reaffirmed Washington's commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the State Department said Saturday.

The move came as Israel's hawkish former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not endorsed the two-state idea, sealed his return to power following Tuesday's election and launched negotiations on forming what could be the most right-wing government in Israel's history.

In a call with Abbas on Friday, Blinken "further reaffirmed our commitment to a two-state solution," the State Department said in a statement, according to AFP.

Blinken and Abbas also discussed "joint efforts to improve the quality of life for the Palestinian people and enhance their security and freedom."

The election result came against the backdrop of soaring violence between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Israeli army said its fighter jets early Friday targeted a rocket manufacturing site in the blockaded Gaza Strip, in response to several rockets fired toward Israel.

On Thursday four Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

Blinken "underscored his deep concern over the situation in the West Bank, including heightened tensions, violence, and loss of both Palestinian and Israeli lives, and emphasized the need for all parties to de-escalate the situation urgently," according to the State Department.



PMF Sparks Dispute between Washington and Baghdad 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (C) and PMF leader Falih Al-Fayyadh (L). (Iraqi government file photo)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (C) and PMF leader Falih Al-Fayyadh (L). (Iraqi government file photo)
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PMF Sparks Dispute between Washington and Baghdad 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (C) and PMF leader Falih Al-Fayyadh (L). (Iraqi government file photo)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (C) and PMF leader Falih Al-Fayyadh (L). (Iraqi government file photo)

The United State has rejected the law on the legalization of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which is aligned with Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held telephone talks on Wednesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on the latest developments in Iraq.

A State Department statement said Rubio “reiterated serious US concerns with the Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC) bill currently pending in the Council of Representatives (COR), emphasizing that any such legislation would institutionalize Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq’s sovereignty.”

Rubio later posted on X: “We support a prosperous Iraq, free of Iran’s pernicious influence.”

Rubio also spoke to Sudani about the recent attacks on energy infrastructure, including those operated by US companies. He stressed the importance of the Iraqi government holding the perpetrators accountable and preventing future attacks, added the State Department.

The Iraqi government has been investigating the recent attacks in northern Iraq with reports widely suspecting Shiite factions of perpetrating them.

Meanwhile, Sudani’s press office said Iraq supports efforts to consolidate stability in the region and the sustainability of ceasefire agreements.

The PM added that the recent attacks on oil companies “target Iraq’s national economy.”

On the PMF, Sudani informed Rubio that legislation is part of “security reform” efforts adopted by his government.

“The PMF is an official Iraqi military institution that works under the authority of the commander of the armed forces,” read the statement from Sudani’s office.

The main factions of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework have been pushing for legislations that would enshrine new laws related to the recruitment of PMF fighters.

Head of the Center for Political Thinking in Iraq, Dr. Ihssan Shmary told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US has started to focus more on Iraq in recent months in wake of the American strikes on Iran.

The telephone call between Rubio and Sudani revealed American reservations over the PMF and armed groups in Iraq, he added.

Washington has started to sense that Iran was beginning to consolidate its influence in Iraq through the PMF laws, which led it intervene directly through diplomatic channels, he remarked.