Egypt has discussed regional de-escalation with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, stressing coordination through a four-way ministerial mechanism involving Türkiye and Pakistan, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
– Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls on Tuesday with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, the ministry said on Wednesday.
– During his call with bin Farhan, Abdelatty called for dialogue and peaceful solutions to contain the crisis and prevent further escalation.
– The two ministers agreed to continue coordination through the four-way mechanism, which includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.
– The call came a day after Egypt’s parliament approved a mandate for President Abdel Fattah el Sisi to take necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia and defend its territory and holy sites, in coordination with the kingdom.
– The move comes amid military escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi militia since July, including attacks on civil aviation facilities and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
– Saudi Arabia has led a coalition since March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and several provinces since September 2014.
– In a separate call, Abdelatty and his Emirati counterpart discussed regional developments and growing risks of escalation.
– Abdelatty urged regional countries to unite efforts, pursue peaceful solutions and return all parties to a political track.
– The calls came amid ongoing mediation efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, which remain at odds over reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
– The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. Iran responded with attacks on Israel and US military assets in Arab countries.
– Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 and began negotiations, which later collapsed over disagreements, including maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for global energy and goods supplies.
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