The U.S. Secretary of State will visit Israel next week to discuss Iran and regional issues.

According to CCTV News, on Friday, February 27, local time, the U.S. State Department announced that Secretary of State Blinken will visit Israel next week (March 2-3) to hold consultations with Israeli leaders on Iran issues and other regional matters.

Amid rising concerns about a possible U.S. military strike on Iran, Blinken’s visit has attracted significant attention.

A State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, stated that Blinken’s trip will discuss issues including Iran, the situation in Lebanon, and advancing regional priorities such as President Trump’s proposed Gaza “20-Point Plan,” but did not provide further details.

Earlier that day, the U.S. Embassy in Israel said that due to increased security risks, the U.S. State Department has approved the evacuation of non-emergency government personnel and their families from the U.S. mission in Israel. “Those who wish to leave Israel may consider doing so while commercial flights are still available.” Earlier this week, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut also evacuated non-essential personnel.

Prior to this, negotiations between the U.S. and Iran on the future direction of Iran’s nuclear program failed to make substantive progress, but both sides indicated they would continue talks next week. The U.S. has deployed two carrier strike groups in the Middle East and is prepared to attack Iran at any time if it determines Iran is not serious about ending its nuclear activities.

The U.S. State Department’s warning was reinforced by an internal memo from U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, sent to embassy staff. In an email sent at 12:04 a.m. local time, he urged those wishing to leave to “act today.”

As the U.S. issued the evacuation appeal, Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr al-Busaidi (a key mediator in U.S.-Iran negotiations), arrived in Washington. This move is seen as a “last-ditch” effort to persuade the Trump administration to delay military action. He is expected to report on the negotiations to Vice President Vance and argue that the current progress is sufficient to continue seeking a diplomatic solution.

However, significant disagreements remain between the U.S. and Iran. Iran has called on the U.S. to withdraw its most hardline demands. U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner did not issue statements after the talks, signaling some uncertainty.

Reports indicate that Vance is one of the highest-ranking U.S. officials opposed to military intervention. Badr’s mission is to try to persuade him that rushing into military strikes will not change Iran’s fundamental negotiating stance.

Vance recently stated, “We are unlikely to become involved in a prolonged, endless Middle East war—that’s not going to happen.” He also added that it is still unclear whether Trump would support military action.

Some Pentagon officials are concerned that prolonged strikes could deplete U.S. military stockpiles and weaken deterrence in other areas.

Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, wrote on social media platform X that despite the authorization for non-emergency personnel and their families to leave Israel, Blinken’s schedule will continue as planned.

Meanwhile, several countries issued statements recommending their citizens avoid traveling to Israel, Palestine, and Iran unless absolutely necessary, citing the constantly changing situation in the Middle East.

(Source: Caixin)