Iran’s FM heads to Turkey as Erdogan Slams ‘Israel’s Barbarity’

Iran denies any links to Hamas’ Oct. 7 bloody rampage in Israel that left hundreds of civilians dead and at least 200 kidnapped, marking the deadliest day in the Jewish state’s history. Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday in an interview with CNN that Iran does not want the war “to spread out.” Both Turkey and Iran have called for an immediate cease-fire. Such calls have been squarely rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“In general, Tehran has sought to use the ongoing conflict in Gaza, especially the opposition of public opinion in the Islamic world to Israeli military operations, as an opportunity for diplomatic engagement,” argued Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

“Until now, the Islamic Republic has been primarily known as a military actor in the conflict, providing military support to Palestinian groups. Now, Iranian leaders are trying to play a new diplomatic role alongside their traditional military one, viewing Turkey and Qatar as potential partners,” he told Al-Monitor. “This marks a qualitative shift in Iran’s approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict.”

Turkey’s rhetoric against Israel has grown increasingly harsh in parallel with the rising death toll in Gaza, with at least 8,525 Palestinians, including 2,187 women and 3,452 children, killed in Israeli airstrikes since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. The Israeli death toll has reached 1,538, according to the Israeli public broadcaster Kan.

Tensions continued to escalate as Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned Israel’s bombing of the sole cancer hospital in Gaza that was built with Turkish funding, causing extensive damage. “As all necessary information, including the coordinates of the institution in question — which is the only cancer hospital in Gaza — was shared with the Israeli authorities in advance, there is no explanation for such an attack,” the ministry noted in a statement.

Israel had already pulled out its diplomatic staff from Turkey over mounting security concerns. The announcement was therefore seen as telegraphing that relations between the two countries are back on ice after a two-year thaw that saw their respective ambassadors reinstated and Israeli President Isaac Herzog meet with Erdogan in Ankara last year.