Egyptian FM in talks with Iran over Red Sea tensions

Egypt’s foreign minister voiced concerns over escalating Red Sea tensions to his Iranian counterpart on February 26^th, according to Al Arabiya and agencies.

Sameh Shoukry emphasized the unprecedented threat that the situation poses to international shipping and its impact on Egypt, in the meeting with Iran’s Amir Abdolahian.

Since the October 7^th Hamas attack on southern Israel and the subsequent Israeli bombardment and invasion of Gaza, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have carried out attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza.

Houthi spokesperson, Mohammed Abdulsalam, said on February 27^th that the group could only consider ceasing their attacks if Israeli aggression in Gaza ended and humanitarian aid was allowed into the strip, according to Reuters.

READ: Yemeni rebels attack 3 vessels in Red Sea

The meeting between Shoukry and Abdolahian occurred adjacent to the 55^th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.

The officials discussed bilateral relations between Egypt and Iran, following the summit between Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi in November 2023.

They also addressed the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, and their countries’ concerns over its potential escalation.

Al Arabiya / Reuters / Agencies