Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan to discuss recent domestic unrest in Iran and growing tensions with the United States. The visit comes after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran following the deployment of what he described as an "armada" to the Middle East. Turkey opposes foreign military intervention, warns of widespread regional risks, and has offered to help mediate, including on Iran's nuclear programme.
Iran's Foreign Minister To Visit Turkey For Talks Amid Rising Tensions With The U.S.
FILE PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi speaks during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan (not pictured) in Istanbul, Turkey, October 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/ File Photo
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will travel to Turkey on Friday to meet his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, for talks focused on recent unrest in Iran and escalating tensions with the United States, a source at the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Tehran to "come to the table" and negotiate over its nuclear programme, warning that any future U.S. strike would be far worse. Trump has said he dispatched an "armada" to the Middle East and warned Iran against further violence toward anti-government protesters or resuming its nuclear activities.
Iran responded to the U.S. posture after a harsh domestic crackdown on widespread protests this month — which Tehran says was driven by external enemies — by threatening retaliatory measures against the United States, Israel and their allies. Iranian officials have blamed the unrest, the biggest since the 1979 revolution, on what they describe as hostile foreign actors.
As a NATO member that shares a long border with Iran, Turkey has consistently opposed foreign military intervention in its neighbour. Ankara has urged Washington to address disputes with Tehran "one by one" and warned that destabilisation inside Iran could exceed the region's capacity to manage.
The Turkish source said Fidan will tell Araqchi that Ankara has been closely following developments in Iran and that Tehran's security, peace and stability are of "great importance" to Turkey. Fidan is also expected to reiterate Turkey's opposition to any military attack on Iran, cautioning such action would "create risks on a global scale."
According to the source, Fidan will offer Turkey's support in helping to defuse tensions with Washington and "note that Turkey supports finding a solution on Iran's nuclear programme as soon as possible, and that it stands ready to help on this issue if it is needed."
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler and Michael Perry)
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