The Turkish foreign minister has warned that a new attack on Iran would further spread war and conflict across the region as tensions between Washington and Tehran escalate.
“Military intervention in Iran is by no means a solution. No one supports this at the moment,” Hakan Fidan told reporters on Friday after an R4+E3 meeting in Istanbul, the first-ever meeting in this format.
The US and Israel are said to have developed plans for renewed strikes against Iran after the American midterm elections.
The war that began in late February has yet to be settled despite a ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding to finalise a peace deal.
Speaking on the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan said: “Either the war must stop, or, if it does not, parties must agree to exemptions for energy and grain issues.”
R4, E3 mechanisms
The R4 mechanism was established by Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to support lasting stability and strengthen dialogue on regional issues based on the principle of regional ownership.
R4 foreign ministers have held six meetings to date, with the first taking place in Riyadh on March 18.
The most recent meeting in this format was held in New York on Sept. 21 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week.
The E3 mechanism, comprising Germany, the UK and France, emerged in 2003 as part of trilateral diplomatic cooperation concerning Iran's nuclear programme.
Over time, it evolved into a framework for joint diplomatic initiatives on various regional and international issues.
