Egypt Pushes 4-Nation Bloc as Gulf Escalation Fears Surge
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls Tuesday with Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, according to two ministry statements issued Wednesday.
In the Saudi call, Abdelatty reviewed regional developments and “efforts to contain the current crisis amid growing risks of escalation,” stressing the need to “advance political and peaceful solutions through dialogue.”
The two ministers agreed to “continue close consultations and coordination bilaterally and through a four-way ministerial mechanism that also includes Türkiye and Pakistan.” The mechanism links Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, and aims to tighten consultation on de-escalation and back political solutions to regional crises.
The call followed a vote a day earlier in which Egypt’s parliament approved, by a two-thirds majority, a mandate for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia and defend its territory, sovereignty and holy sites, in coordination with the kingdom.
It also comes as military escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi group has continued since July, including Houthi attacks on civil aviation facilities and energy infrastructure in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition since March 2015 backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthis, who have held Sanaa and several provinces since September 2014.
In a separate statement, the ministry said Abdelatty and his Emirati counterpart reviewed the latest regional developments, particularly mounting signs of possible escalation in the coming period.
Abdelatty stressed that regional countries must “unite their efforts to reach peaceful solutions and return all parties to a peaceful political track to prevent the region from sliding into a more dangerous phase of the current crisis.”
The exchange unfolded as mediation efforts continue to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, which remain at odds over the conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, and Iran responded with attacks on Israel and on US military facilities in Arab countries.
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18 and began negotiations, but the talks later collapsed amid disagreements that included maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for global energy and goods supplies.
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