Turkish MFA: Israel may escalate situation in region following US election

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that aggressive actions by Israel in the region may escalate following the US presidential election.

“If Israel attempts to eliminate Iran's nuclear capability, the likelihood of the conflict spreading to other nations will increase,” Fidan said in an interview with Turkish newspaper, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

"The main goal of Israel is to drive Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt and from the West Bank into Jordan. Such a scenario would lead to even greater instability in the region. Israel may not confine its military actions following the US election," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may take steps to eliminate Iran's nuclear capability. If this happens, the likelihood of the conflict spreading to other countries will increase," the minister stated.

Fidan also emphasised that Israel continues setting new conditions in its negotiations with the Palestinian Hamas movement. 

"This shows that Israel is using negotiations to buy time for achieving its military objectives. From the very beginning, we have firmly supported a ceasefire; however, we have told both sides that Netanyahu is dragging out the talks to gain more time," the Turkish foreign minister added.

He noted that there have been some developments in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding a ceasefire. However, it is important for Hamas to achieve a ceasefire that will initiate a process that irrevocably alters Israel's actions. 

"During our recent meeting with representatives of Hamas, we discussed the situation on the ground, the need for a ceasefire, the importance of humanitarian assistance, and the process of inter-Palestinian reconciliation," Fidan added. 

On October 1, Iran carried out a large-scale missile strike against Israel in retaliation for the assassinations of key Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials. In response to this attack, Israel has vowed to take action.  

On October 26, the Israel Defense Forces reported that they had targeted military installations within Iran due to "numerous continuous attacks." 

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force confirmed that military facilities in the provinces of Ilam, Tehran, and Khuzestan were hit, but noted that the damage was limited, as air defenses successfully intercepted most incoming strikes. The Israeli attacks resulted in the deaths of at least four Iranian servicemen and one civilian.

By Naila Huseynova