Egypt's Foreign Minister on Monday urged a ceasefire in Gaza and continued de-escalation between Israel and Iran during separate phone calls with senior US and Iranian officials, the foreign ministry said. The calls, part of Egyptian efforts to reduce regional tensions, saw Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speak with Steve Witkoff, the US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East, and separately with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. In his call with Witkoff, Abdelatty stressed the need to resume the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of hostages and prisoners, a ministry statement said. This would serve as a prelude to a sustainable ceasefire and what the statement described as US President Donald Trump's vision for comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Abdelatty also emphasised the necessity of allowing humanitarian, relief and medical aid into the territory amid a sharp deterioration in humanitarian conditions. The minister affirmed the need to present a political horizon for the Palestinian issue that fulfils the aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state, which would help the region avoid repeated cycles of escalation and support regional stability. He noted that Egypt looked forward to hosting an international conference for early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza as soon as a ceasefire agreement is reached, in cooperation with the Palestinian government and the United Nations, and reviewed the contacts Egypt is making in this regard. In the call with his Iranian counterpart, Araghchi, Abdelatty stressed the importance of working to solidify the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. He pointed to the importance of combining efforts to achieve calm and avoid renewed escalation to support regional security, the statement said. The Egyptian minister told his Iranian counterpart of the importance of resuming negotiations on the Iranian nuclear file as soon as possible, describing it as the best way to build trust and reduce tensions through diplomacy. The ministry statement added that in the call with the US envoy, Abdelatty also affirmed Egypt's support for resuming negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme and all efforts aimed at achieving security and stability in the Middle East.
