File Photo: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a parliament session in the capital Tehran. AFP
This visit marks the first by a high-ranking Iranian official to the Egyptian capital in over a decade.
According to an Egyptian diplomatic source, Araghchi will meet with Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty for a private discussion at Tahrir Palace before expanding talks to include both delegations.
The two diplomats met last month in New York during the UN General Assembly, and had several phone calls since the appointment of Araghchi as the new Iranian Foreign Minister.
According to the Iranian ISNA News Agency, Araghchi is also expected to meet with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi during his visit.
The "New Arab" website reported that the visit includes discussions of the developments in the Red Sea region and Yemen, particularly in light of Houthi attacks that have impacted traffic through the Suez Canal.
The two sides will also discuss the ongoing situations in Gaza and Lebanon, consulting on ways to de-escalate tensions in the region amid Israel's military actions.
The website added that Araghchi will convey a message from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Egyptian officials regarding steps to reduce tensions in the region.
Egyptian-Iranian relations have seen significant improvement in recent years, particularly after decades of strained ties since the Islamic Revolution in Iran and Egypt's peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
In 2023, diplomatic efforts were reinvigorated, leading to a series of high-level meetings, signalling both nations' intent to normalize relations, especially after the Israeli war in Gaza.
Cairo is the second stop on Araghchi’s regional tour following Amman. He is expected to fly to Turkey after Egypt.
Over the past week, the Iranian foreign minister has visited Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and Oman to ease regional tensions.
Israel has threatened to attack Iran in response to Iran's barrage of 180 missiles fired at the country earlier this month. Iran's missile strike was itself retaliation for the Israeli assassination of Iran's Guards top commanders, and of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
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