Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has formally proposed hosting a direct teleconference between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a bold diplomatic effort to de-escalate mounting tensions between the two nations. This mediation offer comes amid heightened military threats from Washington toward Tehran, with Trump explicitly warning of imminent offensive actions.
The initiative emerged during a Monday phone conversation between Erdogan and Trump, where the Turkish leader emphasized diplomatic solutions as the paramount priority. While President Trump reportedly expressed interest in the proposed dialogue format, Iranian leadership has yet to formally respond to the offer. Diplomatic sources indicate that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, scheduled to visit Istanbul on Friday for bilateral discussions with Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, may deliver Tehran’s official response during these talks.
This marks Ankara’s second mediation attempt this year, following a similar unsuccessful offer during the 12-day conflict in June that Tehran declined with apparent dismay. Turkey has consistently opposed foreign intervention in Iran, with Foreign Minister Fidan advocating for gradual, file-by-file resolution of disputes between the nations.
The current crisis is significantly influenced by Israel’s strategic concerns regarding Iran’s ballistic missile program and nuclear research activities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing domestic electoral pressures, has been actively advocating for U.S. intervention against Tehran.
In parallel to Turkey’s diplomatic efforts, other regional nations have engaged in shuttle diplomacy. Columnist Hande Firat of Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper reported that Ankara’s persistent messaging emphasizes diplomacy as the only viable path forward, crediting these efforts with temporarily postponing—though not resolving—the brewing crisis.
The situation escalated dramatically when Trump publicly warned via his Truth Social platform of a ‘massive armada’ positioned to strike Iran with ‘speed and violence’ unless Tehran agrees to nuclear negotiations. Drawing comparisons to Venezuelan operations, Trump referenced previous military actions against Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, threatening significantly more destructive consequences if Iran refuses to negotiate.
According to intelligence reports, the Trump administration is considering precision strikes against high-value Iranian officials allegedly connected to protester deaths during recent anti-government demonstrations. This potential military action represents the latest development in weeks of intensifying tensions between the United States and Iran.