After making an unannounced trip to Turkey, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Aug. 29, “Just finished fruitful consultations with Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu and President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan on bilateral relations and regional cooperation in the face of malign US behavior. Off to Pakistan tomorrow to meet with new leadership. Our neighbors our priority.” The tweet was accompanied by pictures of Zarif shaking hands with Erdogan and Cavusoglu.

The trip took Iranian media by surprise. Typically, such visits are announced well in advance. The stated aim of the trip was to discuss “bilateral ties” and likely US sanctions against Iran. Tehran’s diplomacy will have to go into overdrive if it hopes to thwart the sanctions. One strategy appears to involve projecting an upbeat outlook. “The Americans have shown that they are not able to apply pressure and in reality cannot force concessions,” Zarif told reporters in Ankara.

Another strategy has been to highlight the divisions between the United States and its allies in Europe and in the Middle East. “Even [America’s] own allies are not immune to such pressures,” Zarif said, likely in reference to the US decision to apply sanctions against Turkey over the fate of a detained American pastor.

“Now our friends in Turkey and many of America’s allies in Europe have come to the conclusion that the United States is not a reliable partner,” Zarif continued. “America’s behavior has shown that countries have to make other plans for their futures.”