The Cradle, November 1, 2023 —
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Turkiye to continue Iran’s efforts to stop Israel’s crimes against the Gaza Strip.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Ankara to discuss with Turkish officials the ongoing war in Palestine on 1 November.
Amir-Abdollahian met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, while on his trip.
This comes after Abdollahian’s trip to Doha, where he talked with Qatari officials and exchanged views about how to quickly implement a ceasefire between Palestinian factions and Israel.
During a press briefing with Fidan, the Iranian foreign minister said that Iran is continuing its efforts to discuss with regional neighbors to try and prevent the Gaza war from expanding further, adding that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi proposed holding a meeting with the leaders of Islamic and Arab countries in attendance.
“If the genocide and war crimes against civilians are not stopped, the region is very close to making a big and decisive decision,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
“If there is no immediate stop to the war and the continuation of joint attacks by the US and Israel against civilians, the consequences will be severe, and the warmongers will definitely not be able to bear the consequences.”
He also made sure to mention during his remarks that Iran “supports any political initiative that prevents the spread of war and guarantees the real rights of the Palestinian people.”
The foreign minister hailed Turkiye’s stance over supporting the Palestinian cause.
Fidan mentioned in the press conference that the continuation of the atrocities in Gaza cannot be accepted, calling for Israel to stop its bombing campaign against the besieged enclave.
Iran has been taking a lead role in diplomatic efforts as the war in Gaza continues.
Abdollahian warned the powers that are continuing this war, namely the US, during an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on 26 October.
“I say frankly to the [US], who [is] now managing the war in Gaza, that we do not want the expansion of the war into the region,” Abdollahian said during his speech. “But if the genocide in Gaza continues, [the US] will not be spared from the fire. This is our home, and West Asia is our region. We do not compromise with any party or any side, and we have no reservation when it comes to our home security.”