ISTANBUL, Oct 23 (Reuters) — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan cautioned on Friday against any renewed attack on Iran, saying such a move would exacerbate tensions and further expand the conflict, and that diplomacy and dialogue were the only way to end the war.
Source: Reuters
Fidan met his counterparts from Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Britain and Italy in Istanbul to discuss developments in the Iran war, attacks on Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi militants, and Russia's war in Ukraine. It was the first collective meeting of the countries, comprising the Regional Four (R4) and the European E3, alongside Italy.
Source: Reuters
"We are all in agreement that a new attack on Iran would expand the war in the region," Fidan told a press conference after the meeting. "A military intervention on Iran is not in any way a solution. Nobody approves this at the moment," he added.
Source: Reuters
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said after Friday's meetings that a renewed escalation between Iran and the United States would only have losers and would raise oil prices. Al Jazeera's live coverage of the Istanbul summit carried the same warning from Barrot — that renewed US-Iran escalation 'would leave no winners'.
Source: Al Jazeera
The comments followed a New York Times report on Wednesday that the US and Israeli militaries had drawn up specific plans for renewed strikes against Iran after the US midterm congressional election next month, with likely targets including Iran's energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities and its missile and drone arsenal, according to US officials cited by the newspaper.
Source: Reuters
US President Donald Trump said earlier this month that the US would not launch an attack on Iran before the midterms, saying Washington and Tehran were having 'productive' talks about ending their six-month-old war. On Friday, he said the US could end the war quickly but questioned whether Washington should seek a swift conclusion or allow the conflict to gradually wind down.
Source: Reuters