European, Middle East ministers urge US-Iran diplomacy, not new attacks

What the report says

Foreign ministers from Europe and the Middle East met in Istanbul, Turkiye, on Friday to urge restraint in the confrontation between the United States and Iran and to discourage any further military strikes. The gathering included officials from the UK, France and Germany, the E3, as well as representatives from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Italy. According to the meeting readouts reported by Al Jazeera, participants discussed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, regional security and wider conflict risks.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the countries present did not support another military intervention against Iran, arguing that diplomacy and dialogue were needed to prevent the conflict from spreading. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warned that renewed escalation would hurt all sides and could have serious effects on energy prices. Italy’s Antonio Tajani said the priority was de-escalation and protecting freedom of navigation, while stressing that the issue could not be solved by military means alone.

The Istanbul talks also touched on the war in Gaza, the fighting in Yemen and prospects for ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Al Jazeera described the meeting as an unusual effort to bring together governments with different regional interests to discuss possible ways to reduce tensions. In the broader context, Turkiye has been trying to expand its diplomatic role through regional arrangements such as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, though the reported article noted that the pact is not aimed at any specific country and remains open to others.