The French foreign minister has called on her Iranian counterpart to stop taking “destabilizing measures” that could worsen the conflict in the Middle East. In a telephone conversation with the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Minister Catherine Colonna delivered “a very clear message: the danger of a regional conflagration has never been greater; Iran and its allies must immediately stop their destabilizing actions. “No one would benefit from an escalation,” said a statement from the Quai d'Orsay.
Meanwhile, Turkey is also insisting on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and resuming dialogue with the US. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had a nearly two-hour meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul where several topics were discussed. According to Ankara Foreign Ministry officials, Fidan took the opportunity to renew the invitation to the United States to intervene “urgently” to achieve a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Turkey has never held back its criticism of Israel's harsh intervention and demanded that civilians have access to humanitarian aid. Fidan reiterated the need to initiate a political process leading to the creation of a Palestinian state, “the only path to peace.” Another issue on the table is Sweden's entry into NATO. The US is putting pressure on it, but Ankara reiterates today that “the final word belongs to Parliament”. Ratification was originally scheduled for parliamentary work in the first week of January, but was then postponed. All that is needed is the green light from Parliament and it is unlikely that this will happen at this stage. The green light is closely linked to the sale of 40 US-made F16 fighter jets and 40 kits for the modernization of the Ankara fleet, which has been expected for more than two years. Fidan told Blinken today that Turkey awaits “the completion of the transfer process.” In this case, the green light from the US Congress is missing, but the addition of Sweden should defuse the situation.