Shafaq News– Tehran/ Ankara

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Friday that stability in the Middle East requires diplomacy rather than military threats, as Turkiye offered to mediate between Iran and the United States, Iranian media reported.

According to Iranian outlets, Pezeshkian made the remarks during a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stressing that Iran supports dialogue within international frameworks based on “mutual respect.”

The call followed talks in Istanbul between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Iranian media reported.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump warned that a “massive armada” was heading toward Iran and threatened harsher action unless Tehran agreed to negotiate over its nuclear program. In response, Araghchi said Iranian forces were prepared to respond to any attack.

Tensions have escalated since nationwide protests erupted in Iran on December 28 following the collapse of the national currency. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said at least 6,126 people were killed, while Iranian authorities acknowledged about 3,000 deaths.

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