US passes message to Iran not to escalate at 'critical moment' for Middle East The United States has been urging other countries through diplomatic channels to tell Iran that escalation in the Middle East is not in their interest, a State Department spokesperson said on Monday, at what Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a "critical moment" for the region. For more information, Stuart Norval interviews Myriam Benraal, professor in international relations at Schiller University, Paris, France.