CAIRO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held phone calls on Saturday evening with U.S., regional, and international officials to discuss efforts to de-escalate rising tensions in the Middle East, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
During the phone calls, Abdelatty spoke separately with U.S. president's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Türkiye, and Pakistan, as well as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi.
He stressed the need to prioritize wisdom "to defuse tensions and avoid further escalation and destruction," urging "dialogue and diplomacy" to preserve regional security and stability and serve the common interest.
Abdelatty warned that the current escalation could lead to an "unprecedented explosion" in the region with serious economic and geopolitical fallout.
The talks affirmed the necessity of continued consultation, coordination, and intensified diplomatic efforts in the coming period to defuse the crisis and avoid severe consequences for food and energy security, as well as for regional and international peace and security.
Tensions have heightened in the Middle East since the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran starting Feb. 28, with Tehran responding with attacks on Israeli and U.S. interests across the region.
Trump on Saturday issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz - a key route for global oil trade - by April 6, a demand Iran's military swiftly rejected. ■
