US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to leaders of Qatar and Egypt on Monday, the State Department said, to discuss efforts to de-escalate rising tensions in the Middle East. Blinken spoke with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atty, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. Blinken had also spoken with his counterparts in the region and around the world over the past few to days to deliver “a consistent message,” Miller said. “We are at a critical moment for the region, and it is important that all parties take steps over th…