Egypt’s FM phone calls Iranian counterpart, Witkoff to de-escalate military conflict in the region

CAIRO – 20 June 2025: In a bid to contain the military escalation between Israel and Iran, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty made two phone calls with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry in a statement on Friday.

Minister Abdelatty reiterated the need to exert all efforts to de-escalate and achieve a ceasefire, and to utilize the available diplomatic channels to contain the escalating situation and neutralize the risk of a comprehensive escalation of the situation in the Middle East.

Abdelatty stressed the need to work to prevent the expansion of the conflict and the region from sliding into total chaos, the repercussions of which would not be immune. 

He reiterated the importance of exhausting all diplomatic and political channels to reach a sustainable agreement on the Iranian nuclear program.

Since the outbreak of the war between Iran and Israel on June 13, Egypt has exerted tremendous diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict in which hundreds of people were killed and thousands were injured. 

The war started when Israel, which has nuclear weapon and not a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), launched missile and drones towards Tehran and killed hundreds of nuclear scientists, military leaders and civilians to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon. Israeli missiles and drones have targeted several nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, Arak and Fordow, causing a minor level of radiation leakage in Natanz as it was reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Israel, which is totally backed by the US, seeks to be the only country in the region that has nuclear weapons. In retaliation, Iran fired hundreds hypersonic missiles and drones on Israel, causing severe damage to buildings besides the Weizmann Institute of Science, Haifa refinery, and the Gav-Yam Negev Advanced Technologies Park.

Israel, which continues its genocidal war on Gaza despite its war with Iran, attempts to draw the US in its conflict with Iran to also topple the Iranian Islamic regime, led by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. However, Tehran, along with its regional allies in the Middle East in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, threatened if the US entered the war, the US interests in the Middle East will be targeted.