Iranian foreign minister arrives in Egypt amid tensions with Israel

By Ibrahim Khazen

CAIRO (AA) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Cairo late Wednesday, according to an announcement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on X.

His visit comes amid heightened anticipation of an Israeli strike on Iran following a retaliatory missile attack by Tehran against Israel earlier this month.

Baghaei shared a picture of Araghchi’s arrival in Cairo, saying, “We just arrived in Cairo. Iran and Egypt are significant countries with rich histories and civilizations, and they are influential players in the region.”

He added that “important discussions will take place on Thursday with senior officials in Egypt.”

The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, reported Araghchi’s arrival as part of a regional tour to meet senior Egyptian officials, noting a formal reception.

IRNA pointed out that the last visit by a senior Iranian official to Egypt occurred 14 years ago when Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the late Iranian foreign minister, traveled to the Egyptian capital for the inauguration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Cairo is the eighth stop on Araghchi’s tour, which began two weeks ago “to coordinate efforts aimed at halting the crimes of the Zionist entity and activating a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon,” according to IRNA.

The top diplomat’s visit is his first since he assumed his foreign minister’s post two months ago.

He arrived from Jordan and is expected to visit Türkiye, following stops in Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Oman.

Earlier Wednesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty disclosed in statements that Araghchi’s visit is part of “Egyptian efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.”

Regional tensions have escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 42,400 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last year.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, which have killed more than 1,500 people and injured over 4,500 others since last month.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio