Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held a phone call on Sunday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
CAIRO – April 14, 2024: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held a phone call on Sunday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address the recent developments concerning the Iranian drone strikes against Israel.
They also discussed the escalating tensions witnessed in recent weeks regarding the Gaza Strip crisis and its potential regional ramifications, which pose a serious threat to the security and stability of the region, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
The two ministers exchanged perspectives and assessments aimed at de-escalating the situation and averting the risk of further conflict escalation.
Minister Shoukry briefed his US counterpart on the outcomes of intensive communications with the Iranian and Israeli Foreign Ministers aimed at addressing the crisis and preventing it from spiraling out of control.
Shoukry underscored Egypt’s commitment to closely coordinating with the United States to manage the current crisis between Iran and Israel, as well as to halt the ongoing Israeli war in the Gaza Strip and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to alleviate the humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinians in the Strip.
He emphasized that any expansion of the conflict would not serve the interests of any party and would only exacerbate tension and instability for the peoples of the region.
The two ministers agreed to maintain ongoing consultation and coordination between their respective countries to contain the current tensions and enhance opportunities for peace and crisis resolution in the Middle East.
Iran announced that it has launched "extensive retaliatory drone strikes" against Israel, while Middle Eastern countries including Iraq and Jordan closed their aerospace and suspended air aviation.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that it launched drones against Tel Aviv in response to the Israeli attack against the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria’s Damascus on April 1.
On Sunday, Shoukry held two phone conversations on Sunday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts, Hussein Amir-Abdollahian and Israel Katz, respectively, concerning the recent Iranian military strikes against Tel Aviv.
Shoukry expressed Egypt's profound concern regarding the unprecedented military escalation between Iran and Israel, which poses a threat of spiraling out of control, destabilizing the region, and jeopardizing the interests of its peoples, stated the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ahmed Abu Zeid, in a Sunday statement.
The Egyptian Minister urged his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to exercise the utmost restraint and refrain from brinkmanship policies and mutual provocations that could further escalate tension and instability in the Middle East.
Shoukry conveyed Egypt’s willingness to enhance its collaborative efforts with partners to de-escalate the current crisis, which is dangerously escalating, particularly amidst the ongoing Gaza Strip crisis, the enduring plight of the Palestinian people, and escalating tensions across various hotspots in the region, Abu Zeid continued.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister advocated for reason to prevail and for diplomatic efforts to be given a chance to find solutions that uphold Middle Eastern stability and ensure the safety of the region's peoples.
During the conversation with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Shoukry emphasized Egypt’s steadfast stance calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, facilitating humanitarian aid delivery, and rejecting any actions aimed at displacing Palestinians from their lands, including conducting a ground military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah.
On his X account, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he had a conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, during which he underscored Israel's right to self-defense in the face of Iran's unprecedented aggression.
“I stressed that Iran and its proxies are the central threat to stability in the Middle East,” he added.
Katz called upon nations in the region, along with the global community, to “stop Iran's aggression.”
“The relationship with Egypt is important, and we will continue to work together to maintain stability and security in the region,” he said.
Just spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and emphasized Israel's right to self-defence against Iran's unprecedented aggression. I stressed that Iran and its proxies are the central threat to stability in the Middle East. The moderate countries in the region, along… pic.twitter.com/JzvNIji7Xt
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) April 14, 2024
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