ANKARA: Foreign Minister of Turkiye Hakan Fidan spoke with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on the phone to discuss the regional issues and rising tension in the Middle East.
According to Turkish media reports, Fidan congratulated Araghchi on his assumption of office. The two top diplomats exchanged views on regional issues and the situation in Gaza. They also reviewed the bilateral relationship between the two neighboring nations.
Araghchi, who served as deputy foreign minister during Hassan Rouhani’s government, replaced Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was killed in a helicopter crash on May 19.
On August 11, newly-appointed President Masoud Pezeshkian nominated Araghchi as the new foreign minister of the country. After receiving a vote of confidence from the parliament on August 21, he was appointed as the top diplomat of Iran.
The phone conversation between the two foreign ministers comes amid questions about when and how Iran will respond to Israel over the assassination of the former Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The chief commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) signaled an imminent retaliatory strike on Israel in a statement over the weekend. ‘’You will hear good news about Iran’s revenge,’’ IRGC Chief-Commander Hossein Salami told a crowd of people in western Iran, when asked about the promised retaliation.
Some Western countries are in efforts to convince Iran that it should not escalate the situation in the Middle East.
