BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 31. The visit of
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Türkiye on January 30
represents a significant moment in regional diplomacy. During the
trip, Araghchi engaged in high-level discussions with Turkish
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Reflecting on the outcomes of the visit, Araghchi described the
bilateral relations between Iran and Türkiye, as well as the
regional negotiations, as both constructive and beneficial.
The Iranian minister reiterated Iran’s firm stance against the
pursuit of nuclear weapons, reaffirming the country’s commitment to
a fair and rational nuclear agreement that safeguards its
legitimate interests. He emphasized that such an agreement should
encompass not only a commitment to non-proliferation but also the
effective removal of sanctions.
Araghchi further acknowledged Türkiye’s longstanding role as a
constructive force in promoting peace and stability within the
region, highlighting Iran’s deep appreciation for these efforts. He
concluded by reiterating Iran’s readiness to engage in cooperation
with its neighboring countries to preserve regional peace and
stability.
Tensions in relations between Iran and the U.S. have reached a
peak in recent times. Although the U.S. side has put forward a
number of proposals for an agreement with Iran, Tehran considers
these proposals unacceptable. In particular, the demand to abandon
uranium enrichment in Iran is considered by Iran as a violation of
the country’s sovereign rights. The U.S., on the other hand, links
uranium enrichment with the threat of a potential nuclear
weapon.
This disagreement shows that the process is heading in a
dangerous direction. The increase in military preparations by both
sides has raised the risks of possible escalation in the region.
The Gulf countries and other neighbors of Iran have also openly
expressed their concern about the escalation of the situation.
It’s against this background that several Arab countries and
regional actors are making diplomatic initiatives to prevent the
escalation of tensions. Türkiye is also starting to take a more
active role in the process, establishing contacts with both Tehran
and Washington and trying to prevent the deepening of the
conflict.
The Iranian side, on the other hand, has stated several times
that the discussions held so far with the U.S. aren’t realistic and
result-oriented, and that it’s not interested in negotiations in
such a format. Tehran considers it possible and appropriate to hold
negotiations that are free from threats and pressure, based on
mutual respect, and that can yield concrete results. According to
Iran’s position, negotiation frameworks without the prospect of an
agreement neither promise real development nor contribute to
regional stability.
Although there were expectations that tensions would gradually
decrease after the U.S. struck three key Iranian nuclear facilities
in June last year, the process has developed in the opposite
direction. Tehran has not provided the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) with any additional information about those
facilities and has criticized the IAEA for its lack of a clear
response to the strikes on nuclear facilities, describing it as
biased.
Although Iran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear program is
for peaceful purposes only, the U.S. and Western countries are not
unequivocal about this position. They claim that Iran’s nuclear
activities could potentially be directed towards military purposes,
and highlight the high enrichment of uranium as one of the main
indicators of this risk.
Following the nuclear agreement reached in 2015 with the P5+1
countries (the U.S., Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany),
Iran reduced its uranium enrichment level to 3.14%. However, after
the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018, Tehran
announced its decision to halt compliance with the deal’s
stipulations, progressively increasing its uranium enrichment to
60%.
This shift has positioned the nuclear issue as a key risk
factor, not only in the context of Iran-U.S. relations but also
within the broader regional security framework. As a result, the
diplomatic efforts of regional actors, particularly Türkiye, have
become even more critical in addressing the growing tensions and
mitigating potential risks.
