Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. Photo: UAE Foreign Ministry
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed efforts to de-escalate and create conditions for renewed US-Iran talks during separate meetings with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Abdelatty said de-escalation was essential to prevent the expansion of regional crises and to pave the way for a comprehensive agreement that addresses the concerns of all parties, adding that such an outcome would reduce the risk of wider conflict and improve regional and global security.
The talks come days after US President Donald Trump ordered additional naval and air forces toward Iran and warned of possible military action over its nuclear programme, prompting Tehran to threaten retaliation against any US or Israeli strikes.
During a meeting in Riyadh, Abdelatty and Bin Farhan stressed the need to contain tensions and prioritize political solutions to avoid a new cycle of regional instability. Both ministers said ongoing coordination among Arab states was necessary to safeguard regional security amid escalating crises.
Egypt has repeatedly said that diplomacy, not military action, is the only viable way to resolve tensions between Washington and Tehran. In September, Cairo helped broker an agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to resume monitoring of Iran’s nuclear programme following Israeli and US attacks earlier this year.
On Monday, Axios reported that Egypt, Türkiye, and Qatar are working to arrange a meeting in Ankara between the US special envoy for the Middle East and senior Iranian officials, in an effort to ease tensions and avert military confrontation.
Sudan & Gaza
Sudan and Gaza were also discussed during Abdelatty’s meeting with Abdullah bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi.
On Sudan, the two ministers reviewed efforts to de-escalate the conflict and improve humanitarian conditions. Abdelatty called for a humanitarian truce leading to a comprehensive ceasefire and stressed the need for a Sudanese-led political process that preserves the country’s unity, territorial integrity, and national institutions.
They also discussed the Quad mechanism—comprising Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the United States—which focuses on facilitating humanitarian access and supporting a Sudanese-owned political settlement.
On Gaza, the ministers stressed the need to advance the second phase of the US-backed ceasefire framework and support the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). They called for the rapid deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to monitor the ceasefire and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access, as a step toward early recovery and reconstruction.
The discussions took place as the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Sunday for the first time since May 2024, allowing Palestinian patients and injured people to enter Egypt for treatment, as well as enabling some Palestinians to return from Egypt to the enclave.
The meetings were held amid continued coordination between Egypt and its Arab partners on regional crises, the ministry said.
Short link: