Michele Kelemen

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with NPR's Michele Kelemen about Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to the Middle East in the midst of war between Israel and Hamas.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited with leaders in the Middle East in a diplomatic effort to make sure the violence between Israel and Gaza doesn't spread wider.

Israel's military dropped leaflets on Gaza's largest city Friday, urging roughly 1 million residents to move south for their own safety. But Gaza's borders are all closed, as conditions deteriorate.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken goes to Israel to show the administration's support for a country in mourning and now conducting intense air strikes in the crowded Gaza Strip.

Blinken says America has Israel's back in its fight against Hamas — but what are the diplomatic goals he hopes to achieve on this vital trip?

The U.S. secretary of state's trip comes as a humanitarian crisis in Gaza mounts. Palestinian officials say at least 1,350 people have died in Israel's retaliation for the deadly Hamas attacks.

The United Nations Security Council met in emergency session as diplomats try to contain the conflict in Gaza. The Biden administration says it is standing firmly behind Israel.

U.S. officials thanked Sweden and China for help securing the release of the 23-year-old Army private, who went to North Korea in July.

Armenians are fleeing an enclave in Azerbaijan, after the Azerbaijani military took over Nagorno-Karabakh. The U.S. is urging Azerbaijan to protect ethnic Armenians who stay.

The UN Security Council may soon approve an international intervention for Haiti, as gangs continue solidify their control over the country and civilians pay a heavy price.

Sudan's army chief addressed the United Nations in an effort to burnish his image as statesman, while his rival posted his own attempted address online from Sudan.

After making a deal to free Americans held in Iran, the U.S. is looking with other countries to find ways to stop countries from making arbitrary arrests.

Climate change dominates the opening day of the UN general assembly, with speeches from President Biden amongst other leaders, as the UN Secretary General warns that

Five Americans are freed from Iran to joy from their families but the U.S. agreement to release them is drawing criticism.

World leaders are taking stock of a set of ambitious goals to fight poverty and hunger around the world. Ukraine's president is also expected to attend the general assembly.

The Biden administration's deal with Iran would also give Tehran access to $6 billion of its own oil revenue. Some in Congress warn that this will just encourage more Iranian hostage taking.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended his trip to Ukraine Thursday by visiting a school where people were held captive, and talking to frontline sappers.

Ahead of the UN General Assembly, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Kyiv. There, he reaffirmed U.S. support for Ukraine and announced another $1 billion in aid.

According to new U.S. intelligence, the potential agreement would allow North Korea to ship "significant quantities and multiple types" of weapons to Russia for deployment in Ukraine.

The United Nations is on a tight timeline to pull all of its peacekeepers out of Mali by the end of 2023. As they leave, experts warn that ISIS and other terrorist groups are expanding their control.