Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, met with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Thursday to address escalating regional tensions.
This is the first of such visit by a key Iranian official in over a decade.
Araghchi met with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, and Egyptian President, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, to discuss measures to de-escalate Israel’s war with Gaza and Lebanon.
El-Sissi reiterated calls to end Israel’s war in Gaza to prevent it from expanding into a regional conflict. An expanded war would have serious repercussions for the security and capabilities of all nations in the region, he added.
The Egyptian president also called for a halt to the escalation in Lebanon and violations in the West Bank, as well as the delivery of critical humanitarian goods.
Mr. Araghchi’s visit to Egypt is part of a larger diplomatic tour in the region aimed at easing tensions.
This month, he met with authorities in Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Oman, and Iraq, and he is set to travel to Turkey after meetings in Egypt.
The top Iranian official’s diplomatic attempt comes as the area braces for an offensive by Israel in retaliation to Iran’s ballistic missile launches on Israel on Oct. 1.
Araghchi’s visit comes two days after Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman met El-Sissi to discuss developments in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
A statement released by the Egyptian government said the Saudi and Egyptian leaders “called for steps towards de-escalation, including a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, as well as addressing the worsening humanitarian conditions, and halting policies that push the region to the brink of further conflict.”
They also reaffirmed the necessity of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, stability, and territorial integrity.
