Ankara offers to keep mediating between Washington and Tehran
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told US President Donald Trump in a telephone call that Ankara will not abandon its efforts to bring peace between the United States and Iran, and that the two countries should settle their tensions at the negotiating table rather than through force, Erdogan's office said on Saturday. The Turkish presidency disclosed the content of the call in a statement, according to Reuters.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
The conversation took place as several capitals reach out to both Washington and Tehran in an attempt to pull the two sides back into talks, part of a broader regional push to keep the standoff from widening. Turkey is trying to use its ties with both governments to strengthen the political track and to head off a fresh military clash that could ripple through regional security and the global economy.[S1]
Ukraine diplomacy also on the agenda
Beyond Iran, Erdogan told Trump that Turkey will go on supporting initiatives aimed at stopping the war in Ukraine, and he argued that Ankara's contacts with Kyiv and Moscow need to be stepped up, his office said. The call therefore covered two separate conflicts in which Turkey has positioned itself as a possible go-between.[S1][S6][S7]
Mediation faces steep obstacles
The diplomatic push is unfolding against fears that military strikes could resume, particularly after Washington announced limited operations against Iranian targets near Qesh Island, as described by Trump. The gaps that mediators must bridge remain wide: disagreements over Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and US sanctions all continue to divide the parties, suggesting that any path to a settlement will be slow and uncertain.[S1]
