A high-ranking Turkish official revealed Wednesday that his nation is serving as an intermediary, facilitating communication between Iran and the United States in an effort to promote peace negotiations and reduce regional tensions.
Harun Armagan, who serves as vice chair of foreign affairs for President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party, confirmed to Reuters that Turkey “is playing a role passing messages” between the two nations to encourage direct dialogue and de-escalation efforts.
While Armagan declined to provide specific details about the nature of these communications, he indicated that similar messages are being shared with Gulf nations, which have become involved in the expanding regional conflict triggered by U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran.
The diplomatic revelation comes as Iran’s military contradicted President Donald Trump’s recent claims that the United States was actively engaged in peace negotiations to end the ongoing conflict.
As a NATO member, Turkey had attempted to facilitate discussions between the U.S. and Iran before hostilities escalated nearly a month ago, and has consistently advocated for an immediate cessation of military actions. Erdogan has pledged to utilize all available resources to achieve regional peace.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has acknowledged that Ankara is providing “friendly” guidance to Tehran, urging restraint to prevent further conflict expansion, while maintaining contact with Washington officials to assess both sides’ positions.
According to a Turkish diplomatic source, Fidan engaged in conversations on Sunday with U.S. officials and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, among other parties, to explore potential pathways to end the hostilities.
Since the conflict began, NATO air defense systems have intercepted three Iranian missiles that were headed toward Turkish territory.
