CAIRO, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a phone call on Tuesday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss regional developments, particularly the situation in Iran.
Abdelatty emphasized the importance of de-escalation and containing the rising tensions in the region, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
He reviewed Cairo's efforts to create an atmosphere conducive to resuming negotiations between the United States and Iran, highlighting the push toward a consensual peaceful settlement, which could spare the region from further escalation and congestion.
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Iran is determined to reach a "fair and equitable" deal with the United States, noting that the two countries "have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement."
Araghchi posted the remarks on X ahead of the third round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, scheduled for Thursday in Geneva. His remarks came amid a huge U.S. military buildup near Iran and reports that U.S. President Donald Trump was considering launching an initial strike on Iran. ■
