Turkey, several other countries set new conditions for US-Iran ceasefire
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Turkey and several other countries have put forward new conditions and proposals to end the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said efforts were underway to advance negotiations between the two countries through these proposals. However, he pointed out that reaching an agreement had become difficult due to deep mistrust between Iran and the U.S.A.
In an interview with Turkish television channel NTV, Fidan said, “Turkey and other countries are putting forward various proposals and making every effort to bring negotiations between the United States and Iran to the final stage. But there is deep mistrust between the two sides.”
He said both the adversaries had previously reached an understanding in Pakistan, but problems later emerged over its implementation. The belligerents are now trying to move the process forward while safeguarding their respective interests.
Meanwhile, Fidan called for Saudi Arabia to be kept out of the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. Condemning the reported attacks targeting Mecca and Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure, he said that attacks on the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and infrastructure were extremely dangerous.
In the interview with NTV, Fidan said, “We are witnessing extremely dangerous attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and infrastructure. If we review our agreements, we can see that there are mutual alliance responsibilities among the countries concerned.”
He said, “We do not accept Saudi Arabia being drawn into the ongoing dispute and conflict between the United States and Iran. Saudi Arabia does not want to become involved in this conflict. Therefore, the country should be kept out of this equation.”
Fidan also discussed the war between Russia and Ukraine. He said attacks on energy infrastructure had caused serious disruptions and blockages in supply routes. For countries such as Turkey, which rely heavily on imports, the impact was creating extremely difficult circumstances.
Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said that some of Iran’s conditions for ending the war had been conveyed to the United States through mediators. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he claimed that the conditions had been communicated through Qatar and Pakistan. These conditions include lifting the US naval blockade and ending hostilities on all fronts.
In addition, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said he did not expect Pakistan’s upcoming visit to Tehran to involve the delivery of any message from the United States.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is scheduled to visit Tehran tomorrow to discuss bilateral relations and the regional situation with senior Iranian officials.
Speaking to Iranian state television, Baghaei said, “As a regional mediator, it is natural for Pakistan to seek opportunities to discuss regional issues. However, there are currently no indications that it will deliver any message or proposal from the United States.”
He added, “The main objective of this visit is to follow up on the implementation of previous agreements between the two countries, particularly those reached at the highest levels of leadership.”
Al Jazeera
