Egypt urges safe navigation in Hormuz and Red Sea

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty emphasized to his Iranian and Omani counterparts the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

This came during separate phone calls Abdelatty held with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as part of ongoing consultations on regional developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions and restore security and stability in the region, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The discussions addressed efforts to promote calm and reduce escalation. Abdelatty stressed the need for an immediate halt to all military actions and escalatory measures, and called for prioritizing political and diplomatic solutions to help contain rising tensions, prevent the expansion of conflict, and enhance regional security and stability, sparing the peoples of the region further escalation.

The Egyptian minister underlined the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, describing it as a cornerstone of regional security and stability, and essential for protecting international trade and global supply chains. He stressed the need to avoid any actions that could threaten the security of these maritime corridors or put them at risk, in order to protect the interests of all regional states and the global economy. Iran’s targeting of oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz has created a maritime crisis that portends significant damage to the global economy, in addition to Iran’s egregious attacks on neighboring countries.