The Iranian foreign minister Amir Abdollahian met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on Saturday afternoon, Iranian media reported.
The meeting was important for Iran, as it took place on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in the capital of The Gambia, where Iran sought to influence Egypt on issues relating to Gaza.
“During their meeting, Abdollahian extended gratitude for Egypt’s proactive measures in addressing the Gaza crisis and reiterated Iran’s readiness to extend humanitarian assistance to the region, urging Cairo’s collaboration in these humanitarian efforts,” Tehran Times reported. The meeting was important for Iran, and their state media covered it and also put out footage showing the men meeting.
Discussing the current war in Gaza
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also posted about the meeting on social media. The ministry said the men “discussed key issues on the Agenda of the Summit and ongoing efforts to stop the current war in Gaza.” According to the Iranian reports, “Sameh Shoukry expressed satisfaction with the meeting, reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to dialogue with Iran and advancing bilateral relations. He expressed optimism that ongoing political and diplomatic endeavors would contribute to halting the Gaza conflict and safeguarding Palestinian rights.”
Egypt reiterated its stance against further escalation in the region, while Iran slammed Israel’s “atrocities” during the meeting.
“This meeting held particular significance as Egypt is eager to maintain strong ties with Iran, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations and collaborate in efforts to curb Israeli abuses in Palestine,” the Iranian reports said. The reports noted that the US, Qataris, and Egyptians are currently focused on ceasefire talks and a hostage deal.
The Iranian diplomat appeared pleased to see Egypt oppose an Israeli operation in Rafah. Iran’s delegation will be in Gambia for another day through Sunday. Abdollahian also held meetings with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, which appears to come as reports in various foreign media have focused on the chances of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
The reports indicate Iran is seeking to use the meetings in Gambia to strengthen its hand and bring up the Palestinian issue.
