De-escalation in Middle East - key priority for US VP says

US Vice President Kamala Harris has said that de-escalating the situation in the Middle East is a top priority for the Biden administration.

"A couple of hours ago, I concluded a lengthy and important conversation with US President Joe Biden and our national security team," Harris told reporters in Michigan, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

"Of course, we think that it is important to uphold Israel's right to self-defence. We are also firmly convinced that achieving de-escalation in the region is essential moving forward, and this will be our priority," she noted while commenting on Israel's strikes against Iran.  

"We have made it very clear to everyone in the region, that is why Secretary of State Antony Blinken was there for several days this week, that we want to work towards ending this war. This war must come to an end," Harris said.

"We must secure the release of hostages held by the Palestinian Hamas movement and work towards a resolution based on the coexistence of two countries. We firmly believe that when it comes to Lebanon and the region, part of our strength lies in the diplomatic efforts we will undertake to achieve this goal," Harris said. 

She was asked what US allies among Arab countries have to say about the Israeli strikes. 

"The leaders of the regional countries are united, and of course, the US firmly believes that there must be de-escalation in this region, rather than escalation," Harris added. 

After a week of planning, Israel launched an attack on Iran on October 26. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the airstrikes targeted military plants involved in the production of rockets used to strike Israel. Moreover, missile complexes and other facilities that could "restrict the operational freedom of Israeli air forces in Iran" were also targeted. 

By Naila Huseynova