“The two presidents discussed developments in the Middle East and mediation efforts to restore calm to the region, which reflects positively on navigation in the Red Sea, and stops economic losses for all parties,” read a statement released by the Egyptian presidency.
They also reaffirmed the strength of the strategic partnership between Egypt and the US and their commitment to continued cooperation in areas of mutual interest, according to the statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said his phone call with El-Sisi “went very well,” noting that they discussed numerous topics, including the developments in Gaza and Yemen.
On his Truth Social account, Trump said he discussed with El-Sisi the progress made against the Houthis, as the US continues its airstrikes against the Yemeni group.
The US strikes are part of a broader military campaign launched on 15 March to stop Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in key maritime routes, including the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthi attacks, which the group says came in solidarity with Palestinians over the Israeli war in Gaza, have severely disrupted maritime trade.
The Egyptian Suez Canal has also been affected by the attacks, which have forced numerous vessels to reroute, resulting in a 60 percent drop in revenues and a $7 billion loss in 2024.
The American president also said he discussed with El-Sisi the developments in Gaza, “and possible solutions, Military preparedness.”
On 18 March, Israel renewed its assaults on Gaza, unilaterally ending a nearly two-month period of relative calm under a ceasefire agreement, brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the US.
Since resuming its brazen attacks, Israel has killed at least 1,042 Palestinians—mostly women and children—according to the Palestinian Health Ministry’s update on Tuesday.
With the latest escalation, the total number of Palestinians killed since the war began on 7 October 2023 has risen to 50,357.
El-Sisi and Trump's call comes nearly a month after the Arab Summit in Cairo, which proposed a $53 billion reconstruction plan for war-ravaged Gaza.
The plan is a unified Arab response to reports of Trump's plan to take over Gaza, displace its population, and transform it into a "Middle East Riviera."
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