US urged countries to ‘pass messages’ to Iran against escalation, State Department says

WASHINGTON — The United States has been urging countries through its diplomatic engagements to tell Iran that escalation in the Middle East is not in their interest, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday.  Speaking at a daily briefing, Miller said this was a "critical moment" for the region and that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was working the phones to help calm the tensions, but also said Washington was preparing for all possibilities.  Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh...