Egypt has discussed regional de-escalation with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, stressing coordination through a four-way ministerial mechanism involving Türkiye and Pakistan, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls on Tuesday with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, the ministry said on Wednesday.
During his call with bin Farhan, Abdelatty called for dialogue and peaceful solutions to contain the crisis and prevent further escalation.
The two ministers agreed to continue coordination through the four-way mechanism, which includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.
Egypt will help defend Saudi Arabia
The call came a day after Egypt’s parliament approved a mandate for President Abdel Fattah el Sisi to take necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia and defend its territory and holy sites, in coordination with the kingdom.
The move comes amid military escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi militia since July, including attacks on civil aviation facilities and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition since March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and several provinces since September 2014.
In a separate call, Abdelatty and his Emirati counterpart discussed regional developments and growing risks of escalation.
Abdelatty urged regional countries to unite efforts, pursue peaceful solutions and return all parties to a political track.
The calls came amid ongoing mediation efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, which remain at odds over reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. Iran responded with attacks on Israel and US military assets in Arab countries.
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 and began negotiations, which later collapsed over disagreements, including maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for global energy and goods supplies.
