Turkiye’s Erdogan says Israel must not be able to ‘dynamite’ US-Iran deal

Turkiye’s President Tayyip Erdogan has said that peace efforts in the Middle East could not succeed without regional backing, adding that Israel must not be allowed to “dynamite” the United States-Iran deal.

Speaking on Saturday in Istanbul alongside his Pakistani counterpart, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Erdogan said that “no solution that does not take strength from the will and contributions of regional countries can be lasting.”

“We are closely following the Israeli administration’s attempts to dynamite the (U.S.-Iran) deal … The current war-addicted Israeli government must not be allowed to drown our geography in the smell of gunpowder and blood again,” he added.

The Erdogan leader has repeatedly accused Israel of trying to undermine the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, and has also repeatedly condemned Israel’s attacks in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

Delegations from the US and Iran convened in Qatar last week for indirect talks to advance negotiations following recent exchanges of fire.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran will establish a “communication channel” with Washington to report breaches of the MoU.

The MoU, which was brokered by Qatar and Pakistan, includes a 60-day ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, an agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and a timeframe for a final deal to permanently end the war.

However, the US and Iran launched tit-for-tat attacks last week as both debated the meaning of the agreement.