Adedokun Waliyu 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for an immediate return to diplomatic negotiations to end the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran following talks with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Erdogan met Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the United Nations climate conference in Antalya, Turkey.
During their discussion, the Turkish president stressed the importance of returning to the negotiating table without further delay, assuring that Turkey would continue supporting efforts aimed at achieving peace.
He emphasised that common ground for an agreement must be strengthened and diplomacy given an opportunity, expressing hope that the conflict involving the United States would end as soon as possible.
The Middle East conflict began on February 28 following US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against countries across the region, while armed groups backed by Tehran in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq also became involved in the conflict.
In an address to the UN climate summit, Iranian President Pezeshkian accused the United States and Israel of causing serious environmental damage through their military attacks on Iran.
He alleged that the attacks released significant quantities of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, resulting in severe environmental consequences.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan have continued in an attempt to negotiate an end to the war.
Tehran is reportedly demanding that Washington agree to several conditions, including the unfreezing of Iranian assets and the lifting of sanctions, in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a major global energy shipping route that Iran has blocked since the conflict began.
