Araghchi visits Turkey as Ankara steps up diplomacy in Iran-US standoff
Talks between the top Turkish and Iranian diplomats further clarified red lines but fell short of de-escalation.
ANKARA — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Turkey on Friday as Ankara sought to chart a middle course amid rising Washington-Tehran tensions, engaging in a flurry of diplomacy with US and Iranian officials that clarified positions but produced no breakthrough toward de-escalation.
Details: Araghchi held separate meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as US President Donald Trump threatens to take military action against Iran if its leaders don't agree to a deal on Tehran's nuclear program.
Prior to his meeting with Araghchi, Erdogan also discussed the escalating tensions in a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to a Turkish presidential readout.
Ahead of Araghchi’s visit, Fidan and US special envoy Steve Witkoff discussed the issue by phone on Thursday. Fidan described it on Friday as a “very long conversation” without providing further details.
