U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken speaks to media at a press conference during his visit to Myanmar concerning the issue of stranded migrants at sea in Yangon, Myanmar, May 22, 2015. (Xinhua/U Aung)
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm President Joe Biden's nomination of Antony Blinken to serve as the next U.S. secretary of state.
The Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 78-22, making him the 71st U.S. secretary of state. A total of 22 Republican senators voted against him.
Republican Senator Rand Paul voiced his opposition to Blinken's nomination before the vote, citing that the veteran diplomat had always been an advocate for military intervention and regime change.
During his confirmation hearing last week, Blinken proposed changes to the previous administration's foreign policy on the Middle East.
He told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Biden administration would seek to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, if Tehran returns to compliance.
Blinken also voiced his support for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, a policy stance that was backed by successive U.S. governments for decades but was largely abandoned by the Trump administration.
The Senate panel approved Blinken's nomination by a vote of 15-3 on Monday.
Blinken, 58, served as deputy national security advisor and deputy secretary of state under former President Barack Obama.
As a close aide to Biden for nearly two decades, Blinken was one of Biden's first cabinet picks.
