Ankara, Turkey – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that expanding the scope of talks between the United States and Iran to include Iran’s ballistic missile program “will only lead to another war.” He stressed that the current diplomatic track must focus on the nuclear issue to avoid a new regional escalation. In an interview with the Financial Times published on Thursday, February 13, Fidan said the United States appeared “prepared” to tolerate a certain level of uranium enrichment within the framework of a clear nuclear agreement with Tehran. He added, “The Americans understand that the Iranians have their own limits, and trying to force them is pointless.”
The Turkish minister, who said he participated in talks with both sides, indicated that the Iranians had reached a conviction that an agreement with Washington was necessary. He considered that there was a real opportunity to revive a negotiating track similar to the 2015 agreement. This agreement would likely include restrictions on enrichment levels and a rigorous inspection regime. The United States had demanded that Iran relinquish its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%. This level is close to the 90% required to produce a nuclear weapon. In return, Tehran insists on the lifting of financial sanctions and the preservation of what it describes as its nuclear rights. This includes uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes.
Fidan’s remarks came after a round of indirect talks between Iranian and American diplomats in Oman, mediated by the Gulf states. These remarks coincided with US military movements in the region. President Donald Trump announced the deployment of a naval fleet and the consideration of sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The newspaper also quoted Fidan as saying that including the ballistic missile program in the negotiations would undermine the chances of reaching an agreement. This is further reinforced by Tehran’s insistence that this issue is outside the scope of negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had previously affirmed that his country’s missile capabilities “are not and will not be a subject of negotiations with the United States.” There was no immediate official comment from Washington or Tehran on the Turkish Foreign Minister’s statements. This comes at a time when differing opinions persist within the United States regarding how to handle the Iranian issue. It also comes amid pressure from some political circles to adopt a more hardline stance.
