A number of open questions remain: what are the objectives of Blinken's visits to the Middle East?

What is the purpose of Blinken's visits to the Middle East / Getty Images

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made several rounds of visits to countries in the Middle East. In this way, the United States is trying to play a central role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that broke out on October 7.

International security expert Taras Zhovtenko outlined to Channel 24 the main tasks of Blinken and other US officials visiting Israel and neighboring countries.

At first, the United States tried to understand what Israel was planning to do, what orders the IDF would give, and how they saw the deployment of the military operation. The Americans had to coordinate their positions with what their ally should do.

Antony Blinken's second round of visits focused on gathering reactions from Israel's Arab neighbors and the wider community, particularly Saudi Arabia, on how countries would perceive increased fighting in the Gaza Strip.

What is the fate of the Gaza Strip

Now the Americans are trying to understand for themselves how the situation will develop further . Yes, the military’s mission – the destruction of Hamas – is clearly defined, but questions remain open, such as:

• what will happen to the Gaza Strip after the destruction of Hamas;
• what will be the fate of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip;
• how Israel plans to guarantee its security in the future.

Occupation of the Gaza Strip is not an option

With the Palestinian population turning against Israel, the deployment of IDF fighters could pave the way for a revamped version of Hamas.

A wider range of regional players need to be involved in resolving these issues,” Zhovtenko stated.

Yes, one of the solutions could be the creation of a peacekeeping mission for Arab countries with Sunni Islam as opposed to Shiite Iran.

Blinken's visits to the Middle East: highlights

• The first round of visits by the US Secretary of State took place on October 11–13. In addition to showing support and solidarity, they also discussed specific Israeli security issues.
• The second visit to Israel also concerned the increased danger from Hezbollah. So Blinken returned for “additional discussions with Israeli officials.”
• The third visit to the Middle East was dedicated to countering the expansion of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Blinken visited Iraq and Turkey.