Egypt is resuming diplomatic efforts to contain the new military escalation between the US and Iran and revive the ceasefire agreement between the two countries.
Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said Egypt is exerting intensive diplomatic efforts to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table and that President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty are monitoring developments in the region in the hope of calming the situation and reaching a permanent agreement that can put an end to the war.
Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s support for efforts aimed at reducing military escalation in the region and resolving the crisis between the US and Iran through diplomatic means.
In a telephone call with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff this week, Abdelatty stressed “the need to adhere to the US-Iranian memorandum of understanding as a constructive step towards reducing tensions and enhancing security and stability in the region.”
The Foreign Ministry said Abdelatty’s call was part of the ongoing monitoring of regional developments and continued consultation and coordination between Cairo and Washington. Witkoff praised Egypt’s role in supporting efforts to achieve regional stability and Cairo’s efforts in coordination with relevant parties to encourage dialogue and bridge differences.
Abdelatty also contacted his Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi this week to discuss the new military escalation between the US and Iran and the grave risks it poses to regional security and stability, as well as regional efforts to de-escalate the situation and return to the negotiating table.
The two ministers stressed the need to avoid the region sliding into further tension and widening the circle of conflict. They emphasised the importance of the US and Iran returning to the path of negotiations and finding a political solution as the best way to address the current conflict.
Egypt strongly condemned the Iranian ballistic missile attacks and drone strikes that have targeted a number of Arab Gulf countries and Jordan over the past few days, considering them “a dangerous development that represents an infringement on the sovereignty of the Arab and Gulf states.”
President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi paid a visit to Qatar and Bahrain, where he affirmed Egypt’s rejection and condemnation of Iran’s unjustified attacks against the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Al-Sisi described these attacks as a flagrant violation of international law and a dangerous escalation that threatens the security and stability of the region.
Al-Sisi also emphasised Egypt’s complete solidarity with these nations and its unwavering support for all the measures they take to safeguard their sovereignty and protect the well-being of their people. He affirmed that the security of the Arab states is an extension of Egypt’s national security.
Political analysts noted that this is the third visit by President Al-Sisi to the Gulf since the outbreak of the war, indicating that Egypt’s leadership views the security of the Arab Gulf as of crucial strategic importance.
Commentator Zaki Al-Qadi said that the Middle East is going through a critical turning point, noting that intensive Egyptian diplomatic efforts are striving to reduce the intensity of the accelerating escalation based on Cairo’s firm vision of the need to prioritise dialogue and sit down at the negotiating table as the only way to stabilise the region and prevent it from sliding into wider conflict.
Al-Qadi said that the scope of the conflict has begun to expand into new areas, especially after the US Central Command announced the killing and wounding of a number of American soldiers in an attack that targeted its forces in Jordan after an American campaign that reached deep into Iran.
Al-Qadi said Egypt is concerned that Iran might target infrastructure and economic and civilian assets in the Gulf and that it might cause its proxies in Yemen to attack ships in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
“This would be a dangerous development for Egypt as it would negatively impact traffic in the Suez Canal,” Al-Qadi said.
Recent data indicate that the Suez Canal’s revenues during the first quarter of this year increased by 24 per cent year-on-year to reach about $1.12 billion, compared to about $900 million during the same period last year.
The growth in revenues reflects the improved performance of shipping in the Red Sea and the continued recovery of trade and transit traffic through the Suez Canal during the recent period.
Ahmed Aboudouh, a political analyst with the London-based Chatham House, noted that Egypt has responded to the Iran war by actively engaging in diplomacy and mediation.
“This strategy is not aimed at fighting for influence or competing with other countries for the role of the main mediator. Rather, it is designed to achieve Egypt’s central objective of ending the war,” Aboudouh said.
He said that Egypt’s efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the war are part of a long-term risk-management strategy to safeguard Egypt’s security and economic interests amid regional volatility.
There are three main objectives. First, Cairo wants to preserve the security and freedom of navigation in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait. Second, it wants to counterbalance Israel’s ambitions to achieve dominance in the region. Third, it wants to see the Trump administration’s attention turn to other conflicts that Cairo views as more serious threats, Aboudouh said.
These include the faltering ceasefire in Gaza and the ongoing war in Sudan. Aboudouh expects that Egypt might resume coordination with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan to push for a comprehensive ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that mediators have presented Tehran with a proposal to de-escalate the war with the US, calling for a 10-day ceasefire with the aim of finding ways to revive the interim agreement reached last month, referring to the memorandum of understanding.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 July, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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