Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed the need to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and restore calm during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
The call addressed broader rapidly evolving regional developments and the importance of containing escalation, the statement said, adding that Abdelatty emphasized the need for “self-restraint during this delicate phase” and avoiding actions that could heighten tensions.
Egypt, which relies heavily on revenue from the Suez Canal, has repeatedly called for calm following a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
In March, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that due to the regional turmoil — including attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthis — the Suez Canal was losing approximately 800 million U.S. dollars in revenue each month.
The Egyptian statement added that the call also covered Egypt’s ongoing efforts to consolidate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, in its statement on Thursday, said the ministers highlighted the necessity of increased diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in “West Asia” and prevent a wider crisis.
Tehran’s statement expressed “grave concern” over regional tensions stemming from Israeli actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, as well as U.S. airstrikes in Yemen.
Araghchi called for collective regional action to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, terming it “a key to the resolution of other crises in the region,” according to the Iranian statement.
The Iranian ministry also noted that upcoming “indirect talks” between Iran and the United States regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, scheduled for Muscat, were discussed during the call.
