Turkey and Iran Demonstrate Pragmatism and Stick to Neutrality

Iran and Turkey, despite potential points of tension, adhere to a pragmatic policy aimed at avoiding an escalation of the conflict and preserving their national interests in view of the complicated situation unfolding in the region.

Why Iran does not attack American military bases in Turkey

Notably, every single time, the Iranian authorities have denied any involvement in these strikes. According to their statements, the strikes could have been provocations by Israel and the United States aimed at dragging Turkey into a military confrontation with the Islamic Republic.

Ankara, for its part, threw its indirect support behind Tehran’s position. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly stressed that Turkey will not allow itself to be drawn into an anti-Iranian conflict and that it is aware of attempts by external forces to ignite regional conflagration. At the same time, Turkey has not ruled out the possibility of such incidents having been triggered by internal developments in Iran, such as the death of the supreme leader, the decentralisation of power, and the growing influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

With the onset of the second anti-Iran campaign, Iran adopted a tactic of dispersed strikes against US military and political infrastructure in Arab countries. Iranian drones and missiles have targeted both American bases and economic infrastructure — primarily oil fields and transport links — of Gulf monarchies, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, and Kuwait.

Pragmatism instead of friendship: the reasons for Iran’s restraint

Despite tensions in the region, Iran refrains from escalating relations with Turkey. This decision is dictated not by friendly or allied ties — indeed, Turkey and Iran are historical rivals in the Middle East and neighbouring regions, including the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Both countries are guided by their own pragmatic interests, which provides for them maintaining partnership and avoiding direct military collision.

Preventing the expansion of the conflict: Tehran does not wish to trigger an escalation that could lead to retaliatory strikes and an expansion of the combat zone, which would, on its part, threaten Iran’s own........

© New Eastern Outlook