Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he conveyed Ankara's concerns to US President Donald Trump over the possibility of renewed attacks on Iran, reiterating Turkey's position that regional disputes should be resolved through diplomacy rather than military action.
Speaking to journalists aboard his plane while returning from a visit to Azerbaijan, Erdogan said Turkey had consistently advocated diplomatic engagement and negotiations to resolve conflicts.
He revealed that during a recent telephone conversation with Trump, he had raised Turkey's concerns about the possibility of further military strikes against Iran.
"Unfortunately, things seem to be heading towards deterioration again, but we are making every effort to prevent this situation," Erdogan said.
Turkey shares a border with Iran and maintains diplomatic and economic relations with its neighbour despite differences over regional issues. Ankara has repeatedly warned that further military escalation could destabilise the region and affect Turkey's eastern borders.
Meanwhile, Qatar has continued to play an important mediating role between Iran and the United States since the beginning of the conflict, facilitating the exchange of messages and presenting proposals to narrow differences between the two sides.
Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani arrived in Washington on Monday after visiting Tehran last week. He is scheduled to meet Trump and US Vice President JD Vance to discuss the ongoing tensions.
Iran has reportedly presented several conditions for resuming negotiations with Washington, including the lifting of sanctions and an end to the war on all fronts as well as the naval blockade.
In return, Tehran has indicated its willingness to lift restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, while proposing that discussions on its nuclear programme and other sanctions-related issues be held at a later stage.
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday, before departing for Paris to attend a G7 meeting, that there had been no significant progress in negotiations with Iran and that a major agreement was unlikely at present.
Rubio said Trump preferred a diplomatic solution but described some of Iran's demands as provocative and unreasonable, arguing that they could not be implemented.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei defended Tehran's proposals on Monday, describing them as the most reasonable offer currently available at the negotiating table.
Trump had said on Sunday that the possibility of further attacks on Iran would decrease if a strong agreement were reached. However, he warned that if military operations resumed, the United States had identified additional targets, including bridges.
According to Iranian state media, the United States again targeted Iran's Qeshm Island last week. Meanwhile, attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz have reportedly increased this month.
Separately, Yemen's Houthi group, which is backed by Iran, has continued its attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding to regional security concerns.
The Trump administration is also facing growing domestic pressure to end the conflict following poor Republican Party performance in last week's US midterm elections. Vice President JD Vance has identified the war with Iran as one of the factors behind the party's disappointing electoral results.
