Following a visit to the West Bank earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Sunday. Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, according to the premier's office. The two are anticipated to talk about the dangers of escalating Israel's conflict with Hamas.

Blinken said that he had a fruitful and open discussion with the Iraqi government and that US authorities were attempting to arrange a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza that would accomplish multiple objectives, including increasing aid supplies and freeing the hostages held by Hamas.

In discussions with the Iraqi government, Blinken said, "I made very clear that the attacks, the threats coming from militia that are aligned with Iran are totally unacceptable."

The United States is sending a message to "anyone who might seek to take advantage of the conflict in Gaza to threaten our personnel here or anywhere else in the region: 'Don't do it,'" he said.

Speaking to reporters after the unannounced stop in Baghdad, the US Secretary of State said there were now 100 trucks of aid moving into the besieged coastal enclave, but "it's grossly insufficient".

It was his second visit to the region since the Hamas militants who rule Gaza launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct 7, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 240 others hostage, according to Israel.

US defence officials say rocket and drone attacks on US and coalition troops have stepped up in Iraq and Syria since Hamas' deadly attacks on Oct 7 sparked an intensive Israeli military campaign in Gaza.

Washington has increased diplomatic efforts with neighbouring nations whose citizens have been outraged by Israel's attack on Gaza in an effort to avert a more extensive regional confrontation.

Al-Sudani has promised to hunt down those responsible for rocket assaults on three military stations in Iraq that are housing advisers from the international coalition. These locations are Ain al-Asad in the country's west, a military camp close to Baghdad's international airport, and Harir in the city of Erbil in the north.

Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which like Hamas is backed by U.S. adversary Iran, has launched strikes on northern Israel.

As Blinken arrived in the area on Friday, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, issued a warning, alerting everyone to the risk that fighting on the Lebanese front may escalate into a full-fledged war and that stopping the Israeli offensive on Gaza was necessary to prevent a regional conflagration.

Blinken is engaged in a whirlwind tour of the Middle East, having visited Israel on Friday and Jordan on Saturday for talks with King Abdullah II and where he took part in ministerial meetings with five of his Arab counterparts.

Image source: Reuters