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Türkiye, Iran Warn of Israel’s Efforts to Expand Conflict

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi during a joint press conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi during a joint press conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
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Türkiye, Iran Warn of Israel’s Efforts to Expand Conflict

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi during a joint press conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi during a joint press conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya

Türkiye and Iran have warned that Israel's attempts to spark conflict in the region could lead to serious global consequences.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday Israel’s efforts to spread war should not be underestimated.

At a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul, Fidan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to create new fronts and drag Iran into the conflict.

Fidan warned that Israel plans to target vital infrastructure in Iran, especially in energy and oil, which could provoke a strong reaction from Tehran.

He stressed that the risk of war spreading throughout the region should not be underestimated, as it could have serious global consequences.

“Türkiye does not want war in our region,” he said during a meeting with Araghchi, where they discussed bilateral relations and regional threats.

Araghchi echoed these concerns, accusing Israel of sparking conflict through its attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.

He called the escalation a serious threat.

“We are for peace, but we are prepared for any scenario,” affirmed the top Iranian diplomat.

He condemned Israel’s actions, saying the government does not respect boundaries in its war crimes and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

Araghchi also condemned the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, insisting that such actions will not deter the resistance. He appreciated Türkiye’s support for the Palestinian people and its opposition to Israel’s actions.

The Iranian minister also highlighted the importance of strengthening ties with Türkiye.

“We see no limits to improving our relations with Türkiye,” he said, adding that both countries, with their rich histories, will enhance their friendship and cooperation.

In his discussions with Fidan, Araghchi focused on deepening collaboration in trade, joint investments, energy, counter-terrorism, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

He also mentioned the recent 3+3 regional cooperation meeting in Istanbul, which included the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

Araghchi described the meeting as constructive, emphasizing peace and stability in the region.

The ministers agreed that foreign powers complicate regional issues and stressed the need for joint efforts to boost economic development.

According to Iranian news agency Nour News, Araghchi stated that Iran believes a two-state solution will not achieve lasting peace, asserting that “the only solution is a single Palestinian state on Palestinian territory.”

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Iran Says Could Abandon Nuclear Weapons But Has Conditions

A sample of the surveillance cameras that monitor the Iranian nuclear facilities presented at a press conference in Vienna. (Reuters)
A sample of the surveillance cameras that monitor the Iranian nuclear facilities presented at a press conference in Vienna. (Reuters)
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Iran Says Could Abandon Nuclear Weapons But Has Conditions

A sample of the surveillance cameras that monitor the Iranian nuclear facilities presented at a press conference in Vienna. (Reuters)
A sample of the surveillance cameras that monitor the Iranian nuclear facilities presented at a press conference in Vienna. (Reuters)

Iran on Saturday hinted it would be willing to negotiate on a nuclear agreement with the upcoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump, but that it has conditions.
Last Thursday, the UN atomic watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution ordering Iran to urgently improve cooperation with the agency and requesting a “comprehensive” report aimed at pressuring Iran into fresh nuclear talks.
Ali Larijani, advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Iran and the US are now in a new position concerning the nuclear file.
In a post on X, he said, “If the current US administration say they are only against Iran’s nuclear weapons, they must accept Iran’s conditions and provide compensation for the damages caused.”

He added, “The US should accept the necessary conditions... so that a new agreement can be reached.”
Larijani stated that Washington withdrew from the JCPOA, thus causing damage to Iran, adding that his country started increasing its production of 60% enriched uranium.
The Iran nuclear accord, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached to limit the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
The deal began unraveling in 2018, when Washington, under Trump’s first administration, unilaterally withdrew from the accord and re-imposed a sanction regime of “maximum pressure” on Tehran.
In retaliation, Iran has rapidly ramped up its nuclear activities, including by increasing its stockpiles of enriched uranium to 60% — close to the 90% threshold required to develop a nuclear bomb.
It also began gradually rolling back some of its commitments by increasing its uranium stockpiles and enriching beyond the 3.67% purity -- enough for nuclear power stations -- permitted under the deal.
Since 2021, Tehran has significantly decreased its cooperation with the IAEA by deactivating surveillance devices to monitor the nuclear program and barring UN inspectors.
Most recently, Iran escalated its confrontations with the Agency by announcing it would launch a series of “new and advanced” centrifuges. Its move came in response to a resolution adopted by the United Nations nuclear watchdog that censures Tehran for what the agency called lack of cooperation.
Centrifuges are the machines that enrich uranium transformed into gas by rotating it at very high speed, increasing the proportion of fissile isotope material (U-235).
Shortly after the IAEA passed its resolution last Thursday, Tehran spoke about the “dual role” of IAEA’s chief, Raphael Grossi.
Chairman of the Iranian Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Ebrahim Azizi said, “The statements made by Grossi in Tehran do not match his actions in Vienna.”
And contrary to the statements of Azizi, who denied his country’s plans to build nuclear weapons, Tehran did not originally want to freeze its uranium stockpile enriched to 60%
According to the IAEA’s definition, around 42 kg of uranium enriched to 60% is the amount at which creating one atomic weapon is theoretically possible. The 60% purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Spokesperson and deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said on Friday that IAEA inspectors were scheduled to come immediately after the meeting of the Board of Governors to evaluate Iran’s capacity, “with those capacities remaining for a month without any interruption in enrichment at 60% purity.”
Iran’s news agency, Tasnim, quoted Kamalvandi as saying that “the pressures resulting from the IAEA resolution are counterproductive, meaning that they increase our ability to enrich.”
He added: “Currently, not only have we not stopped enrichment, but we have orders to increase the speed, and we are gradually working on that."