Turkish FM says Iran nuclear deadlock could ease in next Pakistan talks

ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that he believed the main obstacles in US-Iran negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme could be addressed in the next round of talks due to resume in Pakistan over the weekend.

Speaking to journalists after an event at Oxford University during an official visit to the United Kingdom, Fidan said “As talks on the Iran war are set to resume tomorrow, I believe that one or two issues—particularly those that had been deadlocked in the nuclear dossier—can be resolved”.

Fidan said Turkiye was in near-daily contact with all sides involved in the negotiations and welcomed recent moves to prolong what he described as a fragile ceasefire. He said “We welcomed the initial two-week ceasefire, but we also said at the time that it would not be enough to reach a final agreement”, before adding “That ceasefire has now been extended”, in a reference to an extension announced earlier this week by US President Donald Trump.

He added that Ankara was seeking to play a constructive role in the process.

The Turkish foreign minister also said that movement on the nuclear file could help reduce broader tensions across the region, including concerns linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

Mine-clearing role discussed

Separately, Germany and Turkiye have indicated conditional willingness to take part in possible mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz, as debate over maritime security continues amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told the German newspaper Rheinische Post that the German navy was making preparations for a possible deployment by dispatching a minesweeper to the Mediterranean along with a command and supply vessel. No timeframe for such a move was specified.

Pistorius said any actual deployment would depend on several conditions being met, including a durable ceasefire between the US and Iran, a clearly defined legal basis under international law, and approval from the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament.

He also said Germany had traditionally held a leading role within NATO in mine-clearance missions.

These developments came as President Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for not backing US-Israel military action targeting Iran.

Fidan also said Turkiye could take part in mine-clearance operations in the Strait of Hormuz after a peace agreement between Washington and Tehran.

The latest remarks come as diplomatic activity around the US-Iran conflict continues to intensify, with Pakistan set to host the next phase of talks.