Egypt’s foreign minister called Sunday for political solutions and creating appropriate conditions to resume dialogue to prevent an expansion of regional tensions.
Badr Abdelatty spoke over the phone with US envoy Steve Witkoff, during which they discussed regional developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a readout.
Abdelatty underscored “the importance of continued joint efforts to prevent the expansion of tensions in the region, and the necessity of prioritizing political and diplomatic solutions as the only path to achieving security and stability,” the ministry said.
He also underlined the need to “intensify international and regional efforts aimed at containing existing crises in the region, supporting de-escalation measures, and creating the appropriate conditions to resume dialogue and address the root causes of these crises.”
The US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in April and subsequently signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending their military conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.
The deal, however, collapsed last month with the US launching 13 consecutive nights of bombardment on Iran over attacks on vessels in Hormuz, which Washington blamed on Tehran. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Gulf nations hosting US assets.
A drone strike caused a fire on two vessels at Egypt’s Damietta Port on the Mediterranean coast on Wednesday. No party has yet claimed the attack, while Iranian officials have denied any responsibility.
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he canceled a planned military strike against Iran after Tehran and “other Middle Eastern countries” requested time to finalize the framework of a peace deal, saying Israel has joined the commitment.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump claimed that the sides agreed to the “perimeters” of a potential deal that would include the “immediate, complete, and total” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.
Iranian military officials, however, dismissed Trump’s claim as a “lie.” A source close to Iran’s negotiating team also denied reports that an agreement had been reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.