### Reader’s Letter to The Guardian, 21st August 2024 ###
Dear Editor,
I scanned your international pages and US pages looking for news of Antony Blinken’s visit to the Middle East … but couldn’t find anything. The news everywhere seems to be full of information about the Democrats’ conference in Chicago.
When I googled “Antony Blinken” I got various two- or three-day old announcements that he was close to a deal and then a handful of postings from today saying that he has returned to the US without making any progress.
Why isn’t this headline news?
It is obvious that Iran has been “holding fire” on its retaliation for the Israeli attack in order to see whether there is any progress on Gaza. So, if Blinken had returned with a deal or if the US had decided (or threatened) to stop arms deliveries to Israel, that would have given the Iranians a reason to “stand down”.
But none of that has occurred with, instead, the “jamboree in Chicago” going on as if nothing important were happening.
It looks to me as if the Iranians, in order to “protect their honour” (as they see it), will be forced to strike. Something which could easily lead to massive escalation.
God help us!
Yours,
Alan Mitcham
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