Turkey and Russia on Wednesday called on U.S. and Iran to prioritise diplomacy and de-escalate tensions, warning that the exchange of attacks by Washington and Tehran could lead to a new cycle of instability in the region.
The joint call was issued in a statement after a meeting between Presidents Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin in Istanbul.
Iranian forces fired missiles at military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the U.S. killing of an Iranian general.
This had to raise the stakes in Tehran’s conflict with Washington amid concern of a wider war in the Middle East.
Similarly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, after an Iranian missile strike on U.S.-led forces in Iraq, that Israel would hit back hard against anyone who attacked his country.
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Netanyahu reiterated his praise for U.S President Donald Trump for the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani last week, calling it a bold move.
The Israeli leader said Soleimani had tried to destabilise the region for decades and was “planning much worse.”
Without directly referencing Iran’s missile strikes overnight, in what Tehran called retaliation for the general’s death in Baghdad, Netanyahu said in a speech in Jerusalem that Israel stood beside the U.S.
“Whoever tries to attack us will be dealt the strongest blow,” Netanyahu said, accusing Iran of leading a campaign to “strangle and destroy” Israel.