Cairo: Acting on directives from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty held intensive phone talks with a number of regional and international officials as part of ongoing efforts to de-escalate military tensions in the region.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the contacts included US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff; Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan; UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed; Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani; Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah; Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani; Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi.
The talks come amid intensified diplomatic efforts to reduce military escalation, particularly as a deadline set by US President Donald Trump approaches for receiving responses to a US proposal. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tamim Khallaf noted that the discussions addressed the latest developments in the rapidly evolving regional situation, with participants exchanging views and proposals on ways to contain escalation at a critical juncture for the region.
Abdelatty emphasized the need to exercise wisdom to defuse tensions and avoid further escalation and destruction, underscoring the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to safeguard regional security and stability and serve the common interest. He also reviewed Egypt's intensive diplomatic outreach with regional and international partners aimed at calming tensions and advancing proposals to achieve the required de-escalation, warning that the current escalation risks an unprecedented regional flare-up, alongside severe economic and geopolitical repercussions.
The spokesman added that Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's firm rejection of targeting civilian facilities and infrastructure, condemning attacks that have affected Gulf states, Jordan and Iraq, and stressing Egypt's rejection of any infringement on the security and sovereignty of Arab states. He called for an immediate halt to such attacks, describing them as flagrant violations of international law and the United Nations Charter.