Egypt's Al-Sisi presses Iran on Qatar attack, welcomes ceasefire in call with Pezeshkian
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi condemned Iran's recent missile attack on Qatar and welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel during a telephone call on Wednesday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Egyptian presidency said.
In a statement, the presidency said Al-Sisi expressed 'Egypt's categorical rejection' of the attack and affirmed his country's condemnation of any act violating the sovereignty of nations, 'particularly that of brotherly Arab and Islamic countries.'
The Egyptian leader also welcomed the announcement of the ceasefire, stressing the importance of consolidating and adhering to the agreement. The statement noted this was crucial, given the recent regional escalation that had 'nearly plunged the region into widespread chaos and violence.'
The call also covered Egypt's diplomatic outreach to contain the crisis. According to the Egyptian Presidency spokesperson, Mohamed El Shennawy, the leaders reviewed the 'intensive efforts and communications Egypt has undertaken in recent days with various concerned parties, most notably the United States, to contain the escalation and restore calm and stability.'
The statement reiterated Egypt's commitment to continue exerting all necessary efforts to solidify the ceasefire agreement.
The two presidents agreed that the current 'delicate and sensitive' phase requires the pursuit of comprehensive political solutions and approaches that consider the multiple dimensions of regional security.
They also stressed the importance of resuming negotiations on the nuclear programme between Washington and Tehran. The leaders emphasised the need to address concerns related to nuclear non-proliferation and to advance efforts toward establishing a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction, the statement said.
For his part, the Iranian president expressed his thanks and appreciation to President Al-Sisi. According to the spokesperson, Pezeshkian praised 'Egypt's prudent positions in support of restoring stability in the region and its efforts to prevent bloodshed among all parties.'
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