South Asia

Turkish FM: Both Iran, Pakistan seek to avoid escalation

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday that Iran and Pakistan do not want to escalate regional tensions. His statement followed recent cross-border strikes between the two nations.

Fidan, speaking at a news conference in Jordan, detailed his discussions with his counterparts from Iran and Pakistan. “I had the opportunity to speak with the foreign ministers of both countries this morning. They explained their positions and gave the reasons for their actions,” Fidan said. “We, as Turkey, recommended that the problem should not escalate further and that calm should be restored as soon as possible. Both sides said that they did not want to see the events spread further and that they took them under control.”

He emphasized Turkey’s role in recommending restraint and the importance of restoring calm promptly.

Iranian media have reported that at least 10 people have been killed in the attack.