Turkish foreign minister warns US-Iran talks may face setbacks, says Israel could sabotage process

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday said that technical issues remaining in the recently signed memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran may not be easy to resolve quickly and warned that Israel could sabotage the process.

"These are important issues. It may not be easy to immediately resolve their technical details. We may see deadlocks from time to time. We need to be prepared for that. Secondly, of course, there is always an Israel waiting in the corner, ready to sabotage the process as soon as it finds the opportunity," Fidan told Anadolu in Cairo.

He made the remarks during his visit to the Egyptian capital for the Fourth Consultative Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Fidan held separate meetings with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohi El-Din Salim on the sidelines of the gathering.

Diplomatic sources also said Fidan met with Massad Boulos, senior adviser to US President Donald Trump for Arab and African affairs, during his visit to Cairo.

'Productive' exchange of views'

Speaking about his diplomatic engagements in Cairo, Fidan said the past two days had involved an intensive schedule of meetings.

He noted that Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the US held an important meeting Saturday on Libya, during which they also discussed developments related to the Mediterranean and Africa.

"There was a very productive exchange of views among the four countries. The discussions enabled us to reach common ground on certain issues," he said.

Fidan also said he was received Sunday by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, adding that the two discussed the positive results achieved through the four-country consultation format.

"We had the opportunity to hear directly from him about the positive outcomes produced by this format established by our four countries. I also conveyed the greetings and messages of our president," he said.

Taking 'ownership' of regional problems

Describing Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as major regional powers with significant populations, resources and responsibilities, Fidan said the four countries were working together to address the region's political, security and economic challenges.

"Our main effort is to take ownership of the region's problems, seek solutions through regional initiatives and mobilize international efforts toward resolving them," he said.

Referring to the post-conflict regional order, Fidan said the four countries were working to develop a shared vision in cooperation with the international community rather than accepting one imposed from outside the region.

"We are striving to formulate that vision as regional countries, and we will present it," he added.

Fidan also said he discussed bilateral relations and regional issues during his meeting with Abdelatty.

'Israel waiting in corner, ready to sabotage process'

Turning to the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, Fidan said that the first round of technical talks on implementing it began Sunday in Switzerland.

He added that he had also discussed the issue by phone with Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy for the Middle East.

He recalled that several provisions of the memorandum had been left for discussion during a 60-day period, particularly technical matters related to sanctions and nuclear verification.

"The political will has been demonstrated by both sides on the major issues," Fidan said.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Demir in Istanbul