Iran, Egypt discuss risks of full-scale Middle East war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on October 16, Egypt’s presidency said in a statement.

The meeting focused on regional developments, with El-Sisi reiterating Egypt’s call to avoid the expansion of conflict in the Middle East and the need to halt escalation to prevent a full-scale regional war, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Araghchi emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to explore prospects for mutual development of relations between the two countries.

Late on October 15, Araghchi landed in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials, the first such visit in years as part of a Middle Eastern tour amid concerns of a wider confrontation in the region with Israel.

Tensions are high in anticipation of an Israeli attack on Iran in retaliation for Iran’s missile attack on October 1. That followed a rapidly spiralling conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Relations between Egypt and Iran have generally been fraught in recent decades but the two countries have stepped up high-level diplomatic contacts since the eruption of the Gaza crisis last year as Egypt tried to play a mediating role.

By Khagan Isayev