Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged the United States on Wednesday to settle contentious issues with Iran "one by one" instead of trying to strike a comprehensive deal, adding that Tehran is ready for talks on its nuclear program.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Washington had sent "a tremendous military force" toward Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, renewing his warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or resuming its nuclear program.
Tehran suppressed anti-government protests this month, resulting in the deaths and arrests of thousands. Officials blamed "armed terrorists and rioters" linked to Iran's adversaries, the United States and Israel. Human rights groups described the protests as the largest since the 1979 revolution.
In remarks to Al Jazeera, Fidan reiterated that Turkey opposes any foreign intervention or attack on Iran, saying, "It would be a mistake to start a war again."
"My advice to our American friends is always to settle the issues one by one with the Iranians. Start with the nuclear file, close it, then move on to another issue, then the next," he said.
"If you put all the issues in one package, it will be very difficult for our Iranian friends to deal with it... and it might seem insulting to them at times. It will be very difficult to explain, not only to themselves but also to the leadership," he added.
Last June, the United States struck Iranian nuclear facilities amid rising tensions in the region with Israel over the war in Gaza. Talks on Tehran's nuclear program, which it says is for peaceful purposes, have made little progress.
Turkey, a NATO member bordering Iran, said it had been in contact with US and Iranian officials, and Ankara said Tehran should be allowed to resolve its internal problems itself, warning that any destabilization would exceed the region's current capacity to deal with it, and according to Fidan, Israel is still seeking to attack Iran.
