Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, recently and focused on regional issues, including Gaza. Iranian state media said that during the Wednesday conversation, they “stressed the urgent need for regional cooperation to halt Israeli crimes in Gaza and establish a ceasefire there to prevent further escalation of tensions in West Asia.”This comes just days after the leaders of Egypt, France, and Jordan held a phone call with US President Donald Trump. The leaders of France, Egypt, and Jordan also held a trilateral summit in Cairo on Monday.“The top Iranian and Egyptian diplomats spoke on the phone late on Wednesday, according to the Telegram page of Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Araghchi emphasized the importance of collective action by regional countries to immediately stop the crimes committed by the Israeli regime and to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, which he said is crucial for resolving other crises in the West Asia region,” Iran’s IRNA reported.
This is significant as it demonstrates Tehran’s desire to increase ties with Cairo after many years of cold relations.“The two officials expressed serious concern over the escalating tensions in the region as a result of the continuous attacks and occupation by the Israeli regime in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, as well as the ongoing air aggression by the United States on Yemen,” the report continued. The “aggression” refers to the US bombing of the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. It is not clear that Egypt also views this as US “aggression,” but Iranian state media sees it that way.
Araghchi and Abdelatty want to enhance diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region. “They also discussed the planned indirect talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States, which are due to be held this coming Saturday in Muscat, Oman,” IRNA noted.
The Iran-Egypt talks are important because Egypt recently hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and King Abdullah II of Jordan. The two leaders met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the presidential palace in Cairo on Monday.
Mobilizing international efforts
Egypt’s Presidential Office noted that “the spokesman for the presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the three leaders discussed with President Trump ways to guarantee an urgent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to resume full access to provide humanitarian aid and release all hostages and detainees immediately.”It continued, “The three leaders stressed the importance of creating conditions conducive to achieving a real political horizon and mobilizing international efforts to end the plight of the Palestinian people, as well as restoring security and peace for all and implementing the two-state solution. The three leaders and President Trump agreed to remain in close contact.”Furthermore, “The call also emphasized the importance of expediting the process to reach peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law and the shared need for international security and stability.”It was Macron’s initiative to call US President Donald Trump. Clearly, this comes at an important time. France has hinted it may recognize a Palestinian state this summer. This indicates that these meetings in Egypt, the call with Trump, and the Egypt-Iran talks have wider regional implications.