Egyptian, Iranian FMs confer over Gaza, Red Sea crises

CAIRO – 31 March 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry received Sunday a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Amir Abdel Lahyan as they thoroughly discussed the Gaza crisis in light of the continuous Israeli attacks and deterioration of humanitarian conditions.

There was congruence on the necessity of a ceasefire, ending the war, and implementation of UN Security resolutions no. 2720 and 2728 by Israel. Those are pertinent to creating a UN-monitored mechanism to deliver aid sufficiently and committing to a humanitarian truce during Ramadan.  

The two ministers affirmed rejection to all plans aimed at the external displacement of Palestinians from Gaza Strip, and to any land military operation in Palestinian Rafah.

In a related context, Minister Shokry expressed Egypt's deep concern about the expansion of the scope of conflict in the region, particularly southern the Red Sea and its perilous impact on navigation and flow of international trade in that major waterway.

In that framework, the Egyptian minister warned of precarious repercussions on the region, international peace and security, and efforts deployed to resolve the crisis in Gaza.

At the end of the call, the Egyptian and Iranian ministers agreed on continuous consultations on bilateral relations, and ways to resolve the crisis in Gaza and deal with related challenges.