CAIRO: Egypt is holding intensive communications with regional and international players to emphasize the need for de-escalation as the US-Israel war on Iran shows no sign of abating.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry is pushing for calm in the region and has condemned Iran’s attacks on the GCC nations, Jordan and Iraq.
Since the first day of the war, Egypt has prioritized diplomacy as the only way to prevent the region from sliding into chaos.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, during a recent call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, stressed the seriousness of the situation and condemned Tehran’s behavior.
Egypt condemned Iran’s attack on a residential complex in the Saudi city of Al-Kharj that killed two people, reiterating its full solidarity with the Kingdom.
Cairo also slammed Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, which have resulted in the displacement of nearly 700,000 Lebanese citizens.
The ministry reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Lebanon and its rejection of Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty.
It also lambasted Israeli practices in the West Bank, including land confiscation and settlement expansion, in flagrant violation of international law.
Abdel Raouf El-Reedy, Egypt’s former ambassador to the US, told Arab News that Cairo’s position “is characterized by wisdom,” as the country rejects the “attack on the sovereignty of the brotherly Arab countries.”
He added: “The continuation of the war will have negative consequences for the Middle East region.”
El-Reedy said there was no alternative to political and diplomatic solutions, “because the continuation of military escalation will have negative repercussions on the Middle East region.”
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said at an iftar function recently that the region was going through difficult circumstances, and expressed hope that the war would end soon.
Speaking to Arab News, Ezzat Saad, executive director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, said the attack on Arab countries was unacceptable, and that military escalation would lead to negative consequences for the Middle East.
Many Egyptian citizens told Arab News they support fellow Arab nations.
Ahmed Negm, a dentist, said he stood with Egypt’s neighbors and called for the attacks to end.
Mona Ahmed, a Cairo University graduate, said Egypt has strong and longstanding ties with the GCC states, noting that millions of Egyptians have been working in these countries for many decades.
Mahmoud Ahmed, a graphic designer, voiced concern over the attacks and expressed support for Egypt’s position of solidarity with Arab countries. He also called for peace.
Ahmed Younes, a journalist and researcher, highlighted the strong economic ties between Egypt and the Gulf states, and said the continuation of the war would affect the stability of the Middle East.
