Iranian foreign minister says Ankara coordinated to block alleged armed incursion, according to interview
TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has claimed that Türkiye played a key role in preventing what he described as a plan involving armed Kurdish groups entering Iran from northern Iraq during the country’s 40-day conflict.
Speaking in a video interview cited by Araz News, Araghchi alleged that, on the fourth day of the war, then-US President Donald Trump contacted leaders of anti-Iran Kurdish armed groups in northern Iraq and supported a ground incursion into Iranian territory. He did not provide evidence for the allegation, and US officials have not publicly responded to the claim.
According to Araghchi, Tehran immediately raised its concerns with officials in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Tehran credits Ankara’s response
Araghchi said the Turkish government took an active role in preventing the reported plan from moving forward. He added that Ankara adopted a firm position against the alleged proposal while also engaging in diplomatic consultations with the United States.
Separately, former Israeli military intelligence chief Tamir Hayman has previously claimed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned Washington that Türkiye would intervene if Kurdish armed groups entered Iran from northern Iraq. Hayman’s account has not been independently verified.
Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has previously criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what he described as a “Kurdish plan,” arguing that it failed to account for Türkiye’s likely response and President Erdoğan’s diplomatic influence.
Regional leaders emphasise stability
Araghchi’s remarks align with earlier comments by President Erdoğan, who said regional cooperation during the conflict helped prevent broader instability. Erdoğan stated that communication among regional governments had averted developments that could have intensified tensions across West Asia.
He also said cooperation among Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Persians had prevented what he described as dangerous scenarios that might have pushed the region towards wider conflict.
The claims made by Araghchi, Hayman and other political figures have not been independently verified, and the governments of the United States, Türkiye and Iraq have not publicly confirmed the alleged events described in the reports.
عراقچی: ترکیه در جنگ ۴۰ روزه مانع اجرای طرح تجزیه ایران شد
عباس عراقچی، وزیر امور خارجه ایران، در یک گفتوگوی ویدئویی درباره جنگ ۴۰ روزه اعلام کرد ترکیه نقش فعالی در جلوگیری از ورود گروههای مسلح کُرد از شمال عراق به ایران داشته و مانع از شکلگیری سناریوهای تجزیه ایران شد.
به… pic.twitter.com/ykz2qMIJ37
— Araz News (@ArazNews_org) July 20, 2026
