US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita discussed in a meeting late Tuesday the current tension in the Middle East and fears of a wider regional conflict. In statement prior to the meeting Secretary Blinken said that he was looking forward to consulting on a lot -- a variety of issues that we work on together, particularly stability both in the Middle East as well as in Africa and North Africa." "We're, of course, tracking events in the Middle East very closely," he affirmed. "We're watching developments, as I said, very carefully in this moment," said Blinken On his part, Bourita said, "We are witnessing escalations in the Middle East, problems in the Sahel, in Libya, in Europe," adding, the meeting today was "an opportunity to coordinate, and his majesty (King of Morocco) values this partnership. And we would like to work together to bring peace to all these parts of the world." The Middle East had witnessed rising tension yesterday. The region is approaching the anni versary of the Israeli occupation's brutal assault on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli aggressors also began a bullish campaign against southern Lebanon with air strikes supposedly aimed at the Lebanese resistance forces but caused serious casualties on the civilian population Iran launched an assault on the Israeli occupation in retaliation to its inhumane attacks on Palestine and Lebanon as well as numerous assassinations of prominent regional figures. Source: Kuwait News Agency