Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during a phone call with Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy for the Middle East, on Tuesday that regional tensions should be reduced and the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran should be implemented.
The call covered regional developments, efforts to contain tensions and ways to prevent the conflict from spreading. Abdelatty called for continued efforts to strengthen security and stability in the Middle East.
Egypt calls for a political and diplomatic solution
Abdelatty said that implementing the understandings set out in the US-Iran memorandum would reduce tensions and constitute a constructive step toward regional security.
The Egyptian foreign minister said regional and international efforts should be intensified. Calling for political and diplomatic channels to be prioritized in resolving the current crises, Abdelatty urged the parties to turn to dialogue.
Emphasis on safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz
Freedom and safety of navigation on international waterways were also discussed during the phone call. Abdelatty said ships should not be prevented from moving, navigational safety and security should be protected, and the relevant rules of international law should be respected.
Abdelatty said freedom of navigation was important for international trade, supply chains and energy security, adding that international waterways should be protected from the effects of regional tensions.
The process leading to the US-Iran memorandum
The United States and Israel began attacks against Iran on February 28, 2026, while Tehran struck targets belonging to the United States and Israel in the region. The parties reached a ceasefire agreement in April of the same year.
The United States resumed its attacks against Iran between July 8 and 24, 2026. Iran, meanwhile, targeted military facilities and equipment in Arab countries that it identified as belonging to the United States. Following these developments, talks on safe-passage corridors for ships in the Strait of Hormuz resumed.
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on freedom of navigation on June 18. However, disagreements over security in the Strait of Hormuz hindered the implementation of the memorandum.
