Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there were signs that Israel was seeking an opportunity to attack Iran. He warned that such an action could further destabilise the region.
Fidan made the remarks in an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV on Friday. He said Israel, in particular, appeared to be looking for a chance to strike Iran.
When asked whether his assessment applied to both Israel and the United States, Fidan said Israel stood out. Turkiye Today reported his comments.
Fidan said he had directly conveyed these concerns to Iranian leaders during a recent visit to Tehran. He said he spoke frankly with Iranian officials.
“When I went to Tehran in recent days, I told them everything about the process as their friend,” Fidan said. He added that friends speak difficult truths.
Fidan’s comments followed a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday.
During the call, Erdogan told Pezeshkian that Turkiye opposed foreign intervention in Iran. He said Turkiye valued Iran’s peace and stability.
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday that Tehran would treat any attack as an all-out war. The official described the threat as part of escalating rhetoric with Washington.
The official said Iran would respond if the United States violated its sovereignty or territorial integrity.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he had sent an “armada” of naval ships toward the Gulf region. He said the deployment had Iran in its sights.
Trump’s remarks marked a shift from the previous week. He had earlier cooled his rhetoric after backing away from threats of military action amid protests in Iran.
The Iranian official said the military buildup had placed Iran on high alert. He said the armed forces were prepared for a worst-case scenario.
The official said Iran would treat any attack as all-out war, regardless of scale. He said Iran would respond in the strongest possible manner.
He said Iran had no choice but to maintain full readiness under constant military threat.
US media reported that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group diverted from the South China Sea to the Middle East. Reports said the group could reach the Gulf region in the coming days.
The US military last conducted a major naval buildup in June 2024. The deployment supported Israel during its 12-day war on Iran and preceded US strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme.