Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi discussed the escalating tensions in the region due to the Israel-Gaza war.
The meeting was part of Araghchi’s ongoing consultations on regional developments, aimed at mobilizing the diplomatic capabilities of neighboring countries against Israel.
During the meeting on October 17, they reviewed the latest regional situation and expressed concern over Israel’s conflict with Iranian-backed groups Hamas and Hezbollah in Palestine and Lebanon, according to the Iranian foreign ministry’s website.
Araghchi presented Tehran’s perspective on the dangerous security situation, outlining recent consultations with regional countries and some international actors over the past two weeks.
President al-Sisi described the security situation as alarming and stressed the need to prevent further escalation. He emphasized the importance of avoiding a disastrous regional war, preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries in the region, and maintaining regional stability and security.
Both sides also highlighted positive developments in bilateral relations and agreed to continue consultations to further strengthen their ties.
Araghchi’s visit marks the first by an Iranian foreign minister to Egypt since 2013. In 2023, Oman mediated efforts to restore relations between Cairo and Tehran.
Araghchi arrived in Egypt on October 16 as part of an intense diplomatic effort ahead of an anticipated Israeli retaliation for Iran’s missile strike on October 1. Tehran described the missile attack as a response to the killing of Tehran-backed leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Ismail Haniyeh, as well as Abbas Nilforoushan, the operations chief and head of the Lebanon division of the IRGC’s Quds Force.
Israeli soldiers also killed Yahya Sinwar, the newly elected leader of Hamas, in southern Gaza on October 16. Sinwar, who had led Hamas in Gaza since 2017, was described by Israel, the US, and the UK as the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks, in which Hamas gunmen killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages.
In a phone call on October 16, Araghchi warned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Iran is “fully prepared for a decisive and regret-inducing response to any adventure” by Israel while making “all-out efforts to protect peace and security in the region.”
He added that “the responsibility for the consequences of spreading insecurity in the region will fall on this regime and its main supporter, the US.”
Earlier, the Iranian minister visited Jordan, Oman, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. On October 17, Araghchi arrived in Türkiye to participate in the 3rd meeting of the 3+3 regional cooperation platform, which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and Türkiye.
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