Türkiye Steps Up Iran-US Diplomacy as Egypt Widens Regional Contact
By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate phone calls with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on May 10, as regional diplomacy intensified around the Iran-US negotiation track and the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Anadolu Agency, citing Turkish Foreign Ministry sources, said Fidan and Abdelatty discussed the latest developments in the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran. The same source-based reporting said Fidan also discussed the Iran-US negotiation process with Araghchi in a separate call.
Türkiye's Foreign Ministry did not publish a detailed readout, and Ankara has not announced a formal mediation role. The calls point instead to a broader pattern of contacts linking Türkiye, Egypt and Iran at a moment when regional governments are trying to prevent the crisis from hardening into a wider energy and maritime confrontation.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Abdelatty also spoke with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Araghchi on May 10 as part of discussions on proposals to reduce regional tensions. Cairo has kept contact with Washington, Tehran and regional capitals while pushing to preserve the negotiation channel.
The May 10 calls followed earlier coordination. In April, Abdelatty and Fidan discussed the need to restart the U.S.-Iran negotiation process quickly. Later that month, Egypt held wider contacts with Türkiye, Pakistan, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain over efforts to support the negotiation channel and reduce tensions.
That contact network has gained weight as the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted. The waterway normally handles roughly one-fifth of global oil transport and a major share of global LNG flows. A prolonged blockage or near-halt in traffic affects energy prices, insurance costs, Gulf export routes and the maritime security map from the Gulf of Oman to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Reuters has described Türkiye, Egypt and Pakistan as active intermediaries in the crisis, with Islamabad hosting talks on regional de-escalation and proposals linked to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Those efforts have not produced a public breakthrough, but they show how regional states are trying to keep a diplomatic channel alive alongside U.S.-Iran contacts.
Türkiye's diplomacy fits a wider pattern. Ankara has kept direct communication with Tehran, maintained working ties with Washington and used its restored relationship with Cairo to coordinate on regional crises. The Fidan-Abdelatty call shows that the Türkiye-Egypt normalisation track has moved beyond bilateral repair and now functions as a channel for wider Middle East crisis management.
Egypt's role has also expanded. Cairo has direct interests in Gulf stability, Red Sea security, Gaza diplomacy and energy flows through the Suez-linked maritime system. By speaking with Witkoff, Araghchi and Fidan on the same day, Abdelatty placed Egypt inside the active contact chain around the Iran-US track.
The diplomatic picture remains cautious. None of the regional capitals has announced a formal mediation framework, and the substance of the Iran-US negotiations remains opaque. Public positions in Washington and Tehran remain far apart, leaving regional diplomacy useful but limited.
The sequence still matters. Türkiye is speaking to Egypt and Iran on the same file. Egypt is speaking to the United States, Iran and Türkiye. Pakistan has hosted regional talks. Gulf states are being consulted. The pattern points to a loose regional contact chain trying to protect the negotiation track before the crisis consumes energy corridors and shipping lanes.
Ankara and Cairo appear focused on a limited but urgent goal: keeping the Iran-US negotiation track alive, reducing the risk of further spillover into the Gulf and preserving diplomatic space around Hormuz. The outcome will still depend on decisions in Washington and Tehran, but regional capitals are now working to shape the corridor through which those decisions move.
***Sources: Anadolu Agency, Egypt Foreign Ministry, Reuters, Radio Pakistan, UNCTAD, U.S. Maritime Administration and Bosphorus News reporting.