ANKARA, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Turkey’s foreign minister on Wednesday urged the U.S. to resolve its disputes with Iran “one by one” instead of through a sweeping deal, saying this would avoid humiliating Iranian officials, and added that Tehran was ready for talks on its nuclear programme.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Washington had an “armada” heading toward Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.
Tehran brutally cracked down on anti-government protests earlier this month, leading to the death and arrest of thousands of people. Officials blamed the unrest on “armed terrorists and rioters” linked to Iran’s foes, the United States and Israel. Rights groups describe the protests as the biggest since the 1979 revolution.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that Turkey opposed any foreign intervention or attack on Iran, saying it would be “wrong to start the war again.”
“My advice always to the American friends: close the files one by one with Iranians. Start with nuclear, close it, then the other, then the other,” Fidan said.
“If you put them as a package all of them, it will be very difficult for our Iranian friends to digest,” he said. “It sometimes might seem humiliating for them. It will be very difficult to explain to not only themselves, but also to the leadership.”
In June, the United States struck Iran’s nuclear facilities amid heightened regional tensions with Israel over the war in Gaza. Talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme – which it says is for peaceful purposes – have made little progress.
Turkey, a NATO member that shares a border with Iran, has said it reached out to both U.S. and Iranian officials. Ankara has said Tehran must be allowed to handle its domestic issues on its own, warning that any destabilisation would exceed the region’s capacity to manage at this time.
Fidan has also said Israel was still looking to attack Iran.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler and Ros Russell)
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