CAIRO, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged de-escalation and the overcoming of differences between the United States and Iran to spare the region the specter of war, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The remarks came during intensive phone talks Abdelatty recently held with his counterparts in Iran, Qatar, and Oman, as well as U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff, aiming to contain the ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
During the talks, Abdelatty stressed the need to reach "a peaceful and consensual settlement" between the United States and Iran that addresses the concerns of all parties on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests.
Egypt's intensified diplomatic efforts were made ahead of an expected U.S.-Iran meeting in Muscat to discuss Iran's nuclear program, which Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said will be held on Friday.
The Egyptian foreign minister expressed hope that the meeting would lead to easing tensions and help advance diplomatic and political solutions, reaffirming that Egypt will continue its intensive contacts and efforts in this regard.
Washington has recently signaled that military options remain possible should diplomatic efforts with Tehran fail, alongside reports of expanded U.S. naval deployments in the region, while Iranian officials have warned that any U.S. strike could spark a broader regional conflict. ■
