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Davos 2024: Blinken says Palestinian statehood could help isolate Iran

The US secretary of state called former President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal "a big mistake."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) speaks with Foreign Affairs columnist Thomas Friedman during a meeting as part of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on January 17, 2024.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 17, 2024. — FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

DAVOS, Switzerland — A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could weaken Iran and help isolate it in the region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

Blinken made the comments in an interview with the New York Times journalist Thomas Friedman at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 

The top US diplomat said for the first time in history, many Arab countries in the region are prepared to work together to achieve genuine security and normalize ties with Israel, but for this to work, there must be an independent Palestinian state established. 

Blinken said the Palestinian Authority, which administers part of the West Bank, should have a stronger structure of governance so it can deliver more effectively for the Palestinian people.

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