Türkiye tells Iran ‘it does not want further escalation’

ANKARA

Türkiye has told Iran that it does not want further escalation in the region following Tehran’s attack against Israel late on April 13.

According to diplomatic sources, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on the phone on April 14.

Sources informed that Fidan told Abdullahiyan that Türkiye does not want further escalation in the region after the Iranian retaliation against Israeli targets. He also expressed Ankara’s expectation that steps that would increase the tension must stop.

For his part, the Iranian minister told Fidan that Iran’s retaliatory operation has ended and Iran will not launch a new operation if it isn’t attacked. Sources underlined that Amirabdollahian vowed that Iran’s retaliation will be harsher in the case of Israel striking back.

In the meantime, Fidan spoke with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron on the phone regarding the tension between Iran and Israel. Both men emphasized that they don't want further escalation in the region, sources said.

Türkiye has long been urging all parties to avoid the spread of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Iran’s retaliation followed an Israeli attack on its embassy in Damascus that killed senior Iranian military officials.

Türkiye had condemned the Israeli attack as a breach of international law.