United States: Turkey Should Encourage the Islamic Republic of Iran to De-escalate Tensions in the Region

Jeff Flake, the U.S. ambassador in Ankara, stated that the United States has asked Turkey and other allies that are in contact with the Islamic Republic to persuade Tehran to reduce tensions in the Middle East. Since the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau in Tehran, and the Iranian officials blaming Israel for this act and threatening the country, concerns have risen regarding potential attacks by the Islamic Republic and its proxy groups against Israel, which could lead to a wider war in the region. Israel has not yet claimed responsibility for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Jeff Flake told reporters in Istanbul, "We ask all our allies who have relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, including Turkey, to convince them to de-escalate tensions." He noted that Turkish officials are more optimistic than Americans about preventing the escalation of tensions, according to discussions between Washington and Ankara. U.S.-Turkey relations have been strained in recent years, partly due to the U.S. alliance with Syrian Kurds, whom Ankara labels as 'terrorists,' and Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 defense system, which led to U.S. sanctions and Turkey's removal from the F-35 jet sale program. Mr. Flake expressed his belief that U.S.-Turkey relations are currently "in a better place." He referenced Turkey's "constructive role" in the prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia earlier this month, the largest exchange since the Cold War. He said, "Turkey was not involved in the negotiations but played an important logistical role." Jeff Flake had previously told Reuters that Turkey's partnership with the U.S. has never been stronger. He also mentioned that the "very difficult" situation in Gaza and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's verbal attacks on Israel have posed challenges for Ankara's role in ceasefire talks and the release of hostages. Erdogan has repeatedly supported the Hamas militant group, which is backed by the Islamic Republic and is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel, the European Union, the UK, Japan, Canada, and several other countries. Jeff Flake added that the U.S. remains concerned about military equipment being sent from Turkey to Russia and urged Ankara to increase its efforts to prevent the export of such equipment. He noted that Russia's complaints about not receiving this equipment are a good sign and that it seems efforts are underway.