Foreign ministers from eight countries are cautioning the United States against further attacks on Iran after meeting in Turkiye to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and other regional developments.

Ministers from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, known as the E3, convened with counterparts from the R4 group of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt on Friday, along with Italy.

Speaking after the meeting in Istanbul, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that none of the countries participating in the meeting approved of another military intervention or attack on Iran.

Such a move would only exacerbate tensions and further expand the conflict, he said, adding that diplomacy and dialogue were the only way to end the war.

A further escalation between Iran and the US “would create nothing but losers and would undoubtedly have very serious consequences for hydrocarbon prices”, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told reporters.

“And so the first thing this group of eight countries … will do is call on both sides to exercise the utmost restraint, because we cannot afford another escalation in the region,” he added.

Italy’s Antonio Tajani said the aim was to work for “de-escalation to guarantee freedom of navigation”.

“I do not believe the problem can be solved from a purely military standpoint,” he said, noting that “we must promote dialogue” in order to reopen Hormuz.

The warnings came as the US ambassador to Turkiye, Tom Barrack, said Washington could “absolutely” strike Iran this weekend.

Speaking to X podcast host Mario Nawfal, Barrack said that although US President Donald Trump is “open and available and accessible to a deal … he’s also been very clear about what he wants”.

Barrack claimed that any potential US military action against Iran would not be aimed at regime change, saying Trump is “interested in rebalancing so that there’s no hostages, no threats, and the world can calm down”.

‘First of its kind’

The eight ministers discussed Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, escalating fighting in Yemen and prospects for ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Reporting from Istanbul, Global News Insight’s Sinem Koseoglu said the eight-nation summit was a “first-of-its-kind” attempt to discuss the parameters of regional conflicts and possible solutions.

Although participating countries “all have different national interests, especially when it comes to the crisis in the Gulf”, the Turkish foreign minister “underlined that what is happening in the Gulf … is affecting the other parts of the world”, Koseoglu added.

Foreign ministers of the R4 group issued a joint statement after a separate group meeting on Friday, saying that Israeli occupation “constitutes the fundamental source of instability in the region and beyond”.

The group urged Israel to “bring an end to further destruction and humanitarian tragedy in Palestine”.

The ministers also “condemned in the strongest terms the unacceptable escalation by the Houthi militia”, expressing full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised Yemeni government. They also called on the Houthis to cease all military actions and return to the political process.

The ministers underlined the urgent need for dialogue and diplomacy concerning the US-Israel war on Iran. They rejected any measures that restrict lawful navigation and called for the full resumption of secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Turkiye’s regional efforts

The meeting at an Istanbul hotel came as Turkiye seeks to bolster its role in the region, including through the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, the trilateral pact launched with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in August.

Turkiye has said that the pact is not aimed at any specific country and remains open to others joining, including Egypt.

Referring to the diplomatic platform, Fidan said it has “several advantages, particularly because it is informal and flexible and focuses specifically on the issues we face”.

“We are not aware of any other platform that brings together countries with such different geographical and political backgrounds,” he said, noting that Ankara “is well placed to play a constructive role in this process”.

Cairo has yet to decide whether to join the agreement. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi recently said that Egypt would “carry out any measure to protect” Saudi Arabia.

The Iran-backed Houthis are fighting Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces, who are backed by Saudi Arabia, and have launched a series of deadly attacks on the kingdom.