US urges Türkiye to encourage Iran to ease tensions, says ambassador

US Ambassador to Türkiye Jeff Flake has announced that the US is urging Türkiye and other allies with connections to Iran to encourage Tehran to ease tensions in the Middle East.

Flake’s comments come amid rising concerns about potential retaliation by Iran and its allies following the recent assassination of senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader supported by Iran, was killed in Tehran on July 31. This event has prompted Iran to threaten Israel, which is engaged in conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Iran has accused Israel of the assassination, though Israel has not claimed responsibility.

"We are asking all our allies with ties to Iran, including Türkiye, to urge Iran to de-escalate the situation," Flake stated during a round-table discussion with journalists in Istanbul. He noted that Turkish officials are actively working to prevent further escalation and appear more optimistic about managing the situation than the US.

Recent years have seen tensions in US-Türkiye relations due to several issues, including the US alliance with Syrian Kurds, whom Türkiye considers terrorists, and Türkiye's acquisition of Russian S-400 missile systems, which led to US sanctions and Türkiye’s removal from the F-35 jet programme.

However, Ambassador Jeff Flake expressed optimism about the current state of US-Türkiye relations, describing them as being "in a better place than we've been in a while." He highlighted Türkiye's "useful role" in facilitating a major prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia in early August, noting that while Türkiye was not involved in the negotiations, it played a significant role in the logistical aspects.

In June, Flake had commented that Türkiye remained a strong Western ally and its partnership with the US had never been stronger. Yet, he acknowledged that the situation in Gaza had posed challenges, particularly due to President Tayyip Erdogan's harsh rhetoric against Israel, which complicated Türkiye's role as an intermediary. Flake noted that while the gap between Ankara and Washington on Gaza had narrowed after the US began actively advocating for a ceasefire, some friction persists.