TEHRAN– Turkey has warned the United States against launching fresh military strikes on Iran, saying a new attack would widen the conflict across West Asia and that diplomacy remains the only viable path toward ending the war.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan delivered the message on October 23 after meeting with his counterparts from Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in Istanbul. He said the eight countries shared the view that renewed military action against Iran would further destabilize the region.

“We are all in agreement that a new attack on Iran would expand the war in the region,” Fidan said at a joint press conference.

“A military intervention on Iran is not in any way a solution. Nobody approves this at the moment,” he added, stressing that diplomacy and dialogue were the only way to bring the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran to an end.

The meeting brought together foreign ministers from the so-called Regional Four (R4) and the European Union’s E3, alongside Italy, in the first collective gathering of the group in this format.

Discussions focused on the war involving Iran, the risk of further regional escalation, attacks on Saudi Arabia attributed to Yemen’s Ansarallah movement, and the conflict in Ukraine.

The meeting came amid growing reports that Washington was considering renewed military action against Iran following the November 3 US midterm elections, raising concerns among regional and European governments about the prospect of a wider confrontation.

European powers call for de-escalation

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also underscored the need for a diplomatic solution, saying the conflict had continued for too long and imposed an excessive burden on the British public.
“The very clear message” is that “diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation has to be the answer to this conflict,” Miliband told broadcaster ITN. “Frankly, this conflict has gone on too long, the British people have suffered too much from it and we cannot afford months more of it.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot warned that further escalation would leave all sides worse off and push oil prices higher, highlighting the potential consequences of a prolonged conflict for global energy markets.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany, France and Britain were prepared to engage in talks with Tehran to address concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. 

The statements reflect mounting concern among European governments that renewed hostilities could deepen instability across West Asia, disrupt energy supplies and carry significant economic consequences beyond the region.

The diplomatic push came after The New York Times reported on October 21 that US and Israeli military officials had drawn up detailed plans for renewed strikes against Iran following the US midterm elections.

Citing US officials, the newspaper reported that potential targets could include Iran’s energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone capabilities.

The report intensified concerns over the possibility of another military campaign against Iran and the risk that attacks on critical infrastructure could trigger a broader cycle of retaliation.

Iranian media citing officials that a possible Iranian response to renewed US-Israeli attacks could extend beyond conventional military targets to include undersea cables, data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure in West Asia owned wholly or partly by US investors and commercial interests.

Such scenarios underscore the potential for a wider conflict to affect critical digital infrastructure and economic assets, alongside its more immediate military and energy consequences.

According to Reuters, Fidan said the Istanbul meeting had also addressed possible parameters for preventing the conflict from spreading further, although he did not disclose details of the discussions.