Inside Blinken's whirlwind diplomatic mission to the Middle East: Reporter's notebook
On Thursday, Jan. 4, Secretary of State Antony Blinken embarked on week-long, 10-stop diplomatic mission — not only to rally support for humanitarian relief in Gaza and urge leaders to prevent the conflict from escalating in the region but also to deliver a blunt warning that Houthi aggression against global shipping in the Red Sea would be met with severe consequences.