Foreign ministers warn against renewed strikes on Iran at Istanbul talks
Foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul on Friday warned that renewed military strikes on Iran could deepen the regional conflict, urging diplomatic ...
“After all these demonstrations and internal challenges, Iran does not want to put itself in a position under threat from Mr. Trump or Israel,” political analyst Melih Demirtaş said, commenting on rising U.S.-Iran tensions in the region.
Demirtaş, a former diplomat based in Ankara, Türkiye, told AnewZ the situation requires careful diplomacy.
“If this diplomacy cannot be found, we could see some scenarios involving military escalations — maybe low or medium-term violence,” he added.
The comments come as the U.S. has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East, with the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, and supporting warships, arriving in regional waters.
U.S. President Donald Trump has described the deployment as another “beautiful armada” heading toward Iran, emphasizing that all options remain on the table amid escalating tensions.
At the same time, key Gulf allies appear to be limiting U.S. military options. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince told Iranian President that Riyadh will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for attacks on Tehran, a position mirrored by the United Arab Emirates.
Demirtaş said these dynamics underscore the importance of diplomacy in the region.
“The crisis is so hot because Iran’s regime is also, quote-unquote, brave and confident,” he said. “We really need diplomacy first of all, to avoid unnecessary escalation.”
The analyst noted that while tensions are high, regional actors may help prevent the conflict from expanding into a broader war.
"We hope it will not escalate to a high scale with the help of actors like Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Azerbaijan, and others,” he added.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Israeli military bulldozers have begun demolishing buildings in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday, 23 October, following armed clashes with Palestinians that left two Israeli soldiers dead, according to the Israeli military.
Super typhoon Champi is set to batter Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture from Friday (23 October), bringing violent winds, torrential rain and waves up to 11 metres high, as airlines cancel flights and organisers scrap a major festival.
A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake has struck Tibet in southwestern China, killing 16 people and injuring 65, while forcing more than 12,000 residents to relocate as rescue teams respond to widespread aftershocks.
Foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul on Friday warned that renewed military strikes on Iran could deepen the regional conflict, urging diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court has extended hearings in a case seeking to ban five opposition parties, with proceedings now set to continue until 30 October. The court in Batumi will resume hearings on Monday, 26 October, after missing its original 23 October deadline.
Pakistan and the European Union have agreed to step up counterterrorism cooperation as security concerns over Afghanistan grow and tensions between Islamabad and Kabul persist.
The head of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says Armenia has effectively withdrawn from the military alliance, despite not formally ending its membership.
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has approved a new alphabet, bringing the Latin-script Uzbek alphabet closer to other alphabets used in the Turkic world.
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