Blinken urges Iraq's prime minister to protect US personnel

The State Department said late on Friday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, in which Blinken urged him to protect installations in Iraq hosting American personnel.

Blinken spoke with Sudani after a series of attacks on American forces in Iraq that US officials have blamed on Iran-aligned groups.

Washington has concerns that the return of fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas may lead to a wider conflict in the region, including a possible war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

Syrian state media reported a short while ago that Israel had launched an air attack in the vicinity of the country's capital Damascus.

In a State Department readout, Blinken stressed "the need to prevent the conflict from spreading" during the call with Sudani.