Turan Research Center

The decision to move the talks between Iran and the United States that began in Oman on February 6, 2026, after they were initially scheduled to be held Istanbul, sparked a firestorm of criticism in the Turkish media. The move, even though it was framed as a logistical and strategic necessity, exposed deep-seated structural tensions and a burgeoning rivalry between Ankara and Tehran. Turkey views the shift as an Iranian rejection of the “Istanbul Process,” a diplomatic framework Ankarahad meticulously constructed to position itself as the indispensable arbiter of regional stability. As the negotiations opened in Muscat, the rhetoric employed by Turkish commentators signaled the end of a period of “managed competition” and the beginning of a more confrontational era in Turkish-Iranian relations.

Read the full article on the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.

Alex Grinberg is a Senior Fellow at the Turan Research Center.