Two weeks after the missiles stopped flying between Israel and Iran, the region is still on edge. In Cairo, the foreign ministers of Egypt and Oman stood shoulder-to-shoulder on Tuesday and urged the United States and Iran to step back from the ledge — and back to the table.
The message was as direct as it was urgent: Enough bloodshed. Talk now, or risk worse.
Regional Diplomacy Picks Up Pace After 12 Days of War
Standing beneath golden chandeliers inside the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi didn’t mince words. He called on both Washington and Tehran to avoid laying down “impossible conditions” that would make diplomacy harder than war.
“There must be conditions that create a sound, reasonable and sustainable return to negotiations,” al-Busaidi said, a touch of exasperation audible in his voice. He emphasized the cost of delay — not just to Iran or the U.S., but to the entire region still reeling from the Israel-Iran conflict that erupted in mid-June and claimed hundreds of lives.
Egypt’s new top diplomat, Badr Abdelatty, echoed those concerns. While Israel and Iran have so far held their fire after a tentative truce, tension remains high across multiple fronts — from Gaza to the Red Sea.
It was Abdelatty’s first high-profile appearance since stepping into the role after Sameh Shoukry’s retirement last month. And the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Talks of a Gaza Ceasefire, With Cairo Playing Host
Abdelatty focused much of his remarks on the worsening situation in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have resumed sporadically even after Tehran stepped back.
He spoke of a proposed 60-day ceasefire and insisted time is running out for meaningful diplomacy. One sentence stuck out: “There is a good opportunity to reach a ceasefire for 60 days, followed by continued negotiations to sustain the ceasefire.”
Egypt, which has long played the mediator between Israel, Hamas, and regional actors, offered to host an international conference focused on Gaza’s post-war reconstruction — but only if the guns go quiet first.
One official familiar with Egypt’s diplomatic outreach said Cairo has been quietly engaging Qatar, the U.S., and even Turkey to build momentum for the ceasefire plan. It’s a long shot, but then again, so was last month’s truce between Israel and Iran.
A Rare Arab Front: No to Displacement, Yes to Two States
Despite their differences on other regional issues, both Egypt and Oman made it clear that the idea of displacing Palestinians — whether into Sinai or elsewhere — is a red line.
Al-Busaidi was firm: “We reject any forced displacement of Palestinians from their land. Any solution that ignores Palestinian rights is not a solution — it’s a delay.”
Abdelatty, who served as Egypt’s ambassador to Berlin before taking the foreign ministry reins, said Arab states are ready to ramp up pressure to get a two-state solution back on the agenda. He stopped short of naming specific initiatives, but insiders suggest Cairo is working with Amman and Riyadh on a joint framework.
Here’s what’s being informally discussed, according to two diplomats involved:
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A coordinated Arab fund for Gaza reconstruction, led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia
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A diplomatic task force to lobby for UN recognition of Palestine as a full member state
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Conditional Arab support for Western-led postwar guarantees for Israeli security
Oman’s Quiet Role in a Loud Region
While Egypt’s diplomatic heft is well-known, Oman’s growing influence — especially with Iran — is often underestimated.
Muscat has carved out a role as a discreet channel for U.S.-Iran communications. Back in 2013, it hosted secret talks that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. With the 2025 war now in the rearview — but its aftershocks still felt — Oman may be poised to reprise that role.
Al-Busaidi’s trip to Cairo came after he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani last week in Muscat. According to regional sources, Oman is quietly urging Iran to rejoin the 2015 nuclear accord under a new framework that would give Tehran partial sanctions relief in return for more intrusive IAEA inspections.
It’s a balancing act, to say the least.
Table: Recent Diplomatic Moves Since June Ceasefire
| Date | Event | Key Players |
|---|---|---|
| June 18 | Israel–Iran ceasefire announced | U.S., Qatar, Switzerland |
| June 24 | Omani-Iranian backchannel opens | Oman, Iran |
| June 27 | U.S. envoy meets GCC leaders in Riyadh | U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE |
| July 2 | Egypt–Oman joint press conference | Egypt, Oman |
One Arab diplomat who attended the Riyadh meeting said, “If Oman pulls this off again — bringing the U.S. and Iran to even talk — it’ll be a miracle.”
Tehran, Washington Still Far Apart — But Not Silent
Back in Washington, the White House hasn’t formally responded to Tuesday’s Cairo statement. But National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said earlier this week that the U.S. is “open to engagement” if Iran “takes verifiable steps to de-escalate.”
Iran’s reaction has been more complicated. While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei praised the Iranian missile barrage on Israel last month as “a blow to the Zionists,” Foreign Minister Bagheri Kani has struck a slightly more pragmatic tone since the ceasefire.
“We are ready to talk — but only if the other side respects us,” he said on Sunday. That leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
Still, in a region where conflict often speaks louder than diplomacy, Tuesday’s press conference in Cairo was a hopeful — if fragile — signal that talks may not be dead after all.
