US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned about Iran’s “malign” threat to the Middle East and Europe after they met in London.
On a one-day visit to the UK, Blinken also said there must be “no role for Hamas going forward” in Gaza.
Despite the UK announcing a partial arms suspension with Israel this month – breaking with US foreign policy on the conflict – Lammy said the pair were aligned on the Middle East, telling a press conference at the Foreign Office: “On the Middle East, we are completely aligned on the need to secure that ceasefire, completely aligned on the need to get the region onto a path to peace and reconciliation with a two-state solution at its heart, and completely aligned too on the need to tackle Iran’s malign activity in the region and beyond.”
The pair talked about ongoing efforts to “prevent the crisis in the Middle East from escalating further”.
Blinken said: “What I think is absolutely essential – and they all say this – is that there has to be a pathway to two states. And clearly we have to see a reformed and renewed Palestinian Authority, and there can be no role for Hamas going forward.
“Our nations helped Israel defend itself against an unprecedented attack from Iran a few months ago. We’re prepared to act together to help Israel defend itself in the future.
“But we’re equally determined to end the conflict in Gaza as soon as possible, and the quickest way to do so remains bringing the ceasefire agreement over the finish line. It’s the best way to get the hostages home, the best way to get a massive infusion of assistance for people who so desperately need it in Gaza.”
Blinken and Lammy agreed that “90 per cent” of a ceasefire deal was ready.
"So we’re down to a handful of issues – not even a handful of issues – that are hard but fully resolvable, in our judgment,” Blinken said.
Lammy added: “[It] is now in the hands of Bibi Netanyahu and Sinwar to get us over the line and to take that deal that is on the table, and we’ve now been talking about that deal for weeks.”
Blinken said he was working with his Egyptian and Qatari counterparts to bridge the remaining gaps in the deal. “Very soon, we will put that before the parties, and we will see what they say,” he added.
He said he would like “to turn down the temperature” in Gaza, as well as with Hezbollah and the Houthis.
He also spoke about his hopes for the “prospect of normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel”.
Lammy added: “It was important to go to the UAE, as it is important to speak to Arab partners across the region.”
Both emphasised the threat from Iran, which has sent ballistic missiles to Russia. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin “will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine”, Blinken said.
This showed how Iran’s “destabilising influence reaches far beyond the Middle East”.
He went on: “Dozens of Russian military personnel have been trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles. Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians.
“Russia has an array of its own ballistic missiles, but the supply of Iranian missiles enables Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets that are further from the front line.”
Lammy said Iranian ballistic missiles sent to Russia marked "definitely a significant escalation".
Lammy and Blinken announced that they will be travelling together to Kyiv this week, which Lammy said is the “first joint visit of this kind for well over a decade”.
