Turkey’s FM Fidan Says US and Iran Are Genuinely Working Toward a Ceasefire and Hormuz Opening

Turkey’s top diplomat says both Washington and Tehran want peace but Israel’s continued war in Lebanon could blow it all up

Turkey Steps In as a Diplomatic Bridge

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday that both the United States and Iran are making genuine, good-faith efforts to extend their ceasefire. He also said both sides want to reopen the Strait of Hormuz one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes. Ankara has been actively facilitating back-channel talks between Tehran and Washington, playing a quiet but important mediating role in the fragile diplomatic process.

Israel’s Lebanon Campaign Casts a Long Shadow

Fidan, however, was clear about one major threat to the talks. Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon where Israeli forces are fighting the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah could seriously destabilize the entire negotiation process. He described this as a significant risk that neither Washington nor Tehran may be able to fully control.

“I am confident that the Americans and the Iranians they are sincere. They want to achieve a ceasefire and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. But I am not confident about Israel’s intentions,” Fidan said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Iran Hits Pause and Issues Fresh Threats

The wire agency reminded readers that Iran, just the day before, formally suspended its talks with the US. The reason Israel’s latest military moves in Lebanon. Tehran also issued a sharp warning threatening to tighten restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz even further. Iran additionally threatened to shut down the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of the Red Sea, and to directly strike Israel.

A Conflict That Has Already Cost Thousands of Lives

The US and Israel launched strikes on targets inside Iran starting February 28 a campaign that has so far killed more than 3,000 people. On April 8, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire. Subsequent talks held in Islamabad ended without any concrete agreement. No resumption of hostilities has been officially reported since then but the US has moved to impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports, keeping tensions dangerously high.