Egypt, Iran, and Oman Agree to Protect Strait of Hormuz
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate telephone conversations with his Iranian and Omani counterparts on Saturday (25/7) to discuss efforts to ease regional tensions and safeguard freedom of navigation.
According to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdelatty spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi as part of ongoing consultations on regional developments and efforts to restore security and stability.
The talks focused on de-escalation, with Abdelatty stressing the need for an immediate halt to all military actions and escalation.
He also prioritised political and diplomatic solutions to defuse tensions and prevent the conflict from widening in ways that could harm the region’s populations.
Abdelatty said such efforts would help strengthen regional security and stability while protecting the region’s people from further escalation and its consequences.
He also emphasised the importance of maintaining 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.
Abdelatty stressed the need to avoid any steps that could threaten the security of maritime routes or endanger shipping, saying such measures were necessary to protect the interests of the region’s nations and the global economy.
The statement came after an Omani diplomatic delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday (24/7) to discuss navigation mechanisms in the Strait of Hormuz. Regional tensions flared again after US President Donald Trump declared that a ceasefire agreement with Iran would not continue. This triggered mutual attacks between the two countries that disrupted shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Maritime escalation intensified further after Yemen’s Houthi group banned shipping affiliated with Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, prompting retaliatory strikes from the Saudi-led coalition.