Egypt warns Iran against regional conflict spreading to Red Sea

Shafaq News / Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry cautioned his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, on Sunday against the regional conflict spreading to the Red Sea and its detrimental impact on international maritime trade.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that during a phone call with Abdollahian, Shoukry expressed "Egypt's deep concern over the widening conflict in the region, particularly in the southern Red Sea area, and its serious implications for maritime navigation and international trade flow through this vital international artery."

The Houthis in Yemen, aligned with Iran, has been targeting international shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023 in a campaign purportedly in solidarity with Palestinians due to Israeli military attacks on Gaza. This prompted retaliatory strikes by the United States and Britain on Houthi targets across Yemen last month.

The navigation in the Egyptian Suez Canal, one of the country's primary sources of foreign currency income, has been affected by tensions in the Red Sea, leading many maritime shipping companies to resort to alternative routes such as the Cape of Good Hope.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs further stated that "Shoukry warned of the serious consequences that may result from this on the region's stability and on international peace and security," emphasizing that "the expansion of the conflict's scope negatively affects regional and international efforts aimed at resolving the crisis."

The statement mentioned that "the ministers extensively discussed the developments related to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and the trajectory of Egyptian-Iranian relations."

The ministers reaffirmed their "rejection of all scenarios targeting the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and opposed any ground military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah."

"They also agreed on the necessity of ensuring full and continuous access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and the removal of Israeli obstacles hindering this, as well as adherence to relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions."

Both ministers agreed to "continue consultations regarding the bilateral relations between the two countries in the coming period, to restore them to normalcy."

They also discussed ways to "resolve the crisis in the Gaza Strip and address the associated challenges."