Iran, Türkiye Agree to Boost Regional, Bilateral Cooperation

Iranian FM Abdollahian receives his Turkish counterpart in Tehran. (Iranian foreign ministry)
Iranian FM Abdollahian receives his Turkish counterpart in Tehran. (Iranian foreign ministry)
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Iran, Türkiye Agree to Boost Regional, Bilateral Cooperation

Iranian FM Abdollahian receives his Turkish counterpart in Tehran. (Iranian foreign ministry)
Iranian FM Abdollahian receives his Turkish counterpart in Tehran. (Iranian foreign ministry)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian received in Tehran on Sunday his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan for talks on cooperation and regional affairs.

Abdollahian urged the activation of the cooperation agreement between Tehran and Ankara, the respect of the border waters rights, and the adoption of diplomacy and dialogue between Türkiye and Syria.

Fidan stressed that Türkiye and Iran have a responsibility toward regional stability, calling on Damascus to ensure the safe return of the displaced Syrians to their homeland.

IRNA news agency reported that the FMs exchanged view on issues of mutual interests, including regional and international developments.

Fidan is on his first visit to Iran since being named minister of foreign affairs in June.

During a joint press conference, Abdollahian described the talks with his Turkish counterpart as “good” and “detailed”.

“We have discussed the implementation of the comprehensive plan of cooperation between Tehran and Ankara that was concluded during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Tehran. The agreements between the two presidents are on the right track,” he said.

The Iranian FM said the two countries have set an annual trade volume target of 30 billion euros.

He added that work is ongoing to hold a tripartite meeting between Iran, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia to discuss economic and investment cooperation.

The issue of water, he said, also figured in his talks with Fidan. They agreed that their joint technical committee will hold the next round of talks on the issue in Tehran as soon as possible.

Abdollahian called for further cooperation between Iran and Türkiye in consular affairs to facilitate the travel of citizens from both countries.

Fidan praised the reconciliation between Tehran and Ankara, saying that friendly ties among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Iran are of high importance for regional stability.

The Turkish FM also stated that the Syrian government should work on ensuring a safe return of the Syrians in Türkiye.

Moreover, Fidan revealed that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would visit Ankara soon.



Dozens Injured after Explosion at Port in Iran's Bandar Abbas

This image grab taken from footage released by the state television of IRIBNEWS on April 26, 2025 shows people walking away as smoke billows following an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port dock southwest of Bandar Abbas in the Iranian province of Hormozgan. (Photo by IRIBNEWS / AFP)
This image grab taken from footage released by the state television of IRIBNEWS on April 26, 2025 shows people walking away as smoke billows following an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port dock southwest of Bandar Abbas in the Iranian province of Hormozgan. (Photo by IRIBNEWS / AFP)
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Dozens Injured after Explosion at Port in Iran's Bandar Abbas

This image grab taken from footage released by the state television of IRIBNEWS on April 26, 2025 shows people walking away as smoke billows following an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port dock southwest of Bandar Abbas in the Iranian province of Hormozgan. (Photo by IRIBNEWS / AFP)
This image grab taken from footage released by the state television of IRIBNEWS on April 26, 2025 shows people walking away as smoke billows following an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port dock southwest of Bandar Abbas in the Iranian province of Hormozgan. (Photo by IRIBNEWS / AFP)

A large explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, with dozens of people injured after the blast, state media reported.
The blast occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, although the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, said Reuters.
"The cause of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area. We are currently evacuating and transferring the injured to medical centers," a local crisis management official told state TV.
Around 115 people were injured in the explosion, state television said.

Semi-official Tasnim news agency added that the port's activities were suspended to extinguish the fire and that considering the large number of port employees "many people were probably injured or even killed in the incident."
The blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometers, Iranian media said, with footage shared online showing a mushroom cloud forming following the explosion.
In 2020, computers at the same port were hit by a cyberattack that caused massive backups on waterways and roads leading to the facility. The Washington Post had reported that Iran's arch-foe Israel appeared to be behind that incident as retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyberattack.