Kerry Returning to Boston to Treat Broken Leg

Secretary of State John Kerry is returning today to Boston after breaking his leg cycling part of the Tour de France route.

Kerry, 71, often takes his bike with him on international trips. He reportedly hit a curb, causing the broken bone.

“Secretary Kerry will be transported to Boston aboard a US military C-17 transport aircraft. The aircraft, based in Ramstein, Germany, will be staffed by additional military medical personnel in keeping with standard practice,” State Department spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement.

Kirby said that “given the injury is near the site of his prior hip surgery, he will return to Boston today to seek treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital with his doctor who did the prior surgery.”

Kerry stayed overnight at a hospital in Geneva, the city where he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif for six hours on Saturday. Zarif, who frequently tweets, did not say anything about his counterpart’s injury.

Now, Kerry’s participation in that process is in question as they barrel toward a June 30 deadline for a nuclear agreement.

Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken will go in Kerry’s place to this week’s Counter-ISIL Coalition Small Group Ministerial in Paris, the State Department said. “Coalition partners will review progress on the full range of our shared efforts to degrade and defeat ISIL, while affirming our support for Prime Minister Abadi and the Iraqi campaign against ISIL. While in Paris, the Deputy will also meet with ministers to discuss regional and global issues.”

The reactions to Kerry’s injury from a couple of well-known social media writers in the Arab world: