Fidan meets Azerbaijani, Pakistani counterparts amid regional tensions

RIYADH

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a series of high-level contacts on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, meeting separately with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, diplomatic sources said.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of a regional gathering hosted by Saudi Arabia, bringing together key Middle Eastern and Asian countries to discuss escalating tensions linked to the ongoing Iran-centered conflict.

Participants included representatives from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, Syria and Jordan, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

Fidan is attending the high-level meeting as part of efforts to coordinate regional responses to the intensifying crisis, which has heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty across the region.

Fidan also held a phone call with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss the course of the ongoing war. No further details of the conversation were disclosed.

Hostilities have intensified since a joint U.S.-Israeli offensive on Iran began on Feb. 28, triggering retaliatory drone and missile strikes by Tehran targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets.

The conflict has caused significant casualties and infrastructure damage, while also disrupting global markets and aviation.