by Miceál O’Hurley
ANTAYLA DIPLOMACY FORUM — After less than a week of an uncertain ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran expectations that the parties will return to the mediation table with Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sherif remain uncertain. Speaking on the he first day of the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) hosted by Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Sharif expressed hope that the parties would return to negotiations. His consultations with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and delegates from Egypt, Saudi Arabia indicated continuing cooperation between regional partners in advancing peace proposals to bring hostilities to an end.
The ceasefire continues to be precarious. Despite assertions given by its delegates in Washington, D.C. that Israel would honour a ceasefire in Lebanon, new strikes were reported during the last 24-hours. Iran is also reported to assert renewed restrictions on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz for what they call, “continued violations of trust on the part of the US”. News just broke that Iran has reportedly fired on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The two-week ceasefire which was designed to make room for a diplomatic solution is quickly dissipating.
I had an opportunity to meet with the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Excellency Mr. Saeed Khatibzadeh, on the sidelines of the ADF twice during the first and second days of the event. While Shatibzadeh affirmed Iran’s willingness and hope to engage in a diplomatic solution to the conflict, President Donald Trump’s claim, “Iran is begging for a deal” is clearly a misreading of the situation. Iran believes a global settlement of outstanding issues is necessary to bring a just end to hostilities and restore conditions for a durable peace.
My interview with Iran’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs can be heard hear:
Of note in the interview was Khatibzadeh’s account of the negotiations mediated by Oman prior to the outbreak of hostilities. The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs describes how the Omani negotiating team in Geneva had understood what they described in the media at the time as a “breakthrough” to avert war and yet after “shaking hands” on Friday with US President Trump’s handpicked negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the US launched an unheralded attack upon Iran overnight.
According to then Omani negotiators, Iran had agreed to a zero-stockpiling of any uranium. The offer by Iran would have made moot the issue pointed to by Trump regarding Iran’s supposed refusal to meet US demands over the level of enrichment. Moreover, Iran is described by Oman has having additionally agreed to “down-wash” any current stockpiles of uranium on-hand into fuel , denying any use of it for nuclear weaponry. After the start of hostilities by the US and Israel, Oman’s Foreign Minister, His Excellency Mr. Badr Albusaidi, confirmed the Iran offer had been made. Speculation continues as to whether or not property developer Witkoff and real estate investor Kushner actually understood the technical nature of what Iran had offered or if the US had simply pre-determined to join with Israel in attacking Israel and attempting regime change.
2026 represents the fifth iteration of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. This year’s theme was “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties.” The high-level conference was kicked off by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Although somewhat new to the world stage, the ADF has quickly attained the same prestige and reach as other global summits such as the Munich Security Conference and the World Economic Forum. The focus on peace and stability and the relative intimacy of the forum ensuring high-level access between world leaders in a professional but relaxed environment has been a catalyst for improved international relations for years. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye has used the ADF as an amplifier for its projection of diplomatic influence in the region, to great effect, throughout Africa and Asia and more recently in Latin and South America.
