Turkey’s top diplomat urged Washington to start nuclear talks with Iran in an interview broadcast on Wednesday, as US warships arrived in the region ahead of a possible strike over Tehran’s protest crackdown.
“It’s wrong to attack Iran. It’s wrong to start the war again. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television in English.
“My advice has always been to our American friends: close the files one by one with the Iranians. Start with the nuclear issue and close it. Then move on to the others,” he said.
Fidan’s comments after a US naval strike force led by an aircraft carrier took up position in Middle Eastern waters, US Central Command said on Monday, without revealing its precise location.
Washington has not ruled out new military intervention against Tehran over its harsh response to the protests, which, according to rights groups, saw thousands of people killed within days.
Since Iran began its crackdown earlier this month, accompanied by a nationwide internet blackout, US President Donald Trump has given mixed signals on intervention.
