The U.S. secretary of state and Israeli foreign affairs minister also discussed “efforts to advance mutual interests,” per a U.S. State Department readout.

By JNS

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen spoke by phone on Thursday evening, Washington time, according to a readout from the U.S. State Department.

Blinken “reaffirmed the importance of the enduring U.S.-Israel bilateral relationship.”

The two also “discussed shared challenges including Iran, as well as efforts to advance mutual interests, such as Israel’s further regional integration,” according to Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesman at the department.

The U.S. secretary of state also “reiterated the continued U.S. commitment to a two-state solution, welcomed recent efforts to de-escalate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians through meetings in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh, and emphasized the importance of refraining from unilateral actions that exacerbate tensions,” said Patel.