Eight Nations Press for Diplomacy in Istanbul as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Deepens
Foreign ministers from eight countries gathered in Istanbul on Friday to press for a diplomatic resolution to the escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran, warning against any fresh military strike and calling for the swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The meeting, hosted by Türkiye and chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, brought together the so-called E3 group — the United Kingdom, France and Germany — and the R4 bloc, made up of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt. Italy joined the session at Turkey’s invitation, marking the first time the two groupings had convened together.
Fidan told reporters that none of the participants supported another attack on Iran, arguing that renewed military action would deepen an already dangerous conflict and spread instability across the region. “There is a huge room for diplomacy, but also a huge room for war,” he said, framing dialogue as the only viable path to ending the fighting.
The ministers placed particular emphasis on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a substantial share of the world’s oil and gas is shipped. Traffic through the strait has been largely halted by the U.S.-Iran conflict, and the participating governments described the disruption as a breach of international maritime norms rather than a bilateral dispute. They demanded the full and secure restoration of freedom of navigation, warning that continued escalation would inflict serious damage on global energy markets.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot cautioned that further escalation “would create nothing but losers” and urged both Washington and Tehran to show restraint, pointing to the risk to hydrocarbon prices. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the shared objective was de-escalation and stressed that the crisis could not be resolved by military means alone. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also took part in the discussions.
The talks unfolded against a volatile backdrop. Iran said seven vessels were struck in the Strait of Hormuz on October 22, and the United States ambassador to Türkiye, Tom Barrack, said separately that Washington could “absolutely” strike Iran over the weekend, while insisting any such action would not be aimed at toppling the government in Tehran.
The R4 group also condemned recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia and on shipping, calling them an unacceptable escalation and voicing solidarity with Riyadh and Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The ministers urged the Houthis to return to a political process.
Beyond the immediate crisis, the ministers discussed the war in Gaza, the fighting in Yemen and efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The R4 reaffirmed support for a two-state settlement for Israel and the Palestinians and called for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The Istanbul session produced no ceasefire, no timetable for reopening the strait and no binding joint declaration. The eight governments agreed, however, to keep coordinating at regular intervals through an informal format, signaling an effort to preserve diplomatic channels even as the threat of a wider conflict persists.
Source: Al Jazeera