The U.S.-Israel-Iran war, bilateral relations, Black Sea security and ties with the EU dominated Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s joint news conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Velislava Petrova-Chamova in Sofia on Thursday.
Fidan arrived in Bulgaria earlier this week to attend the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit and held bilateral talks with Petrova-Chamova.
The Turkish minister said at the news conference that mutual attacks in U.S.-Israel-Iran tensions had escalated in the past two days. “We are concerned. We recommend the sides cease attacks and return to the negotiation table and finalize the text (on a lasting peace) they are close to agreeing upon. We work to ensure it. We have seen that it is no benefit to anyone to escalate the conflict, to return to all-out war,” Fidan said.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fresh attacks for a second consecutive night, heightening fears that the cease-fire agreed on in April might be unravelling.
Early on Thursday, the U.S. military said it had "completed" its latest round of strikes. In a post on X, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for the region, said the attacks targeted military intelligence facilities, communications systems and air defense positions that it said posed a threat to U.S. forces and international shipping.
