Egypt Sees Path to Easing Iran-US Tensions, Says Cairo Is Pushing Diplomacy

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Bloomberg, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aati said on Thursday, July 23, that after about two weeks of tit-for-tat strikes between Iran and the United States, Egypt sees a path to easing tensions and resuming peace talks. He said Cairo is working with the main mediators to push for a diplomatic solution, and that Egypt is in daily contact with the warring parties, Gulf states, Pakistan and Turkey as it seeks to bring them back to the terms set out in the June 15 memorandum of understanding signed by the United States and Iran. Speaking on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in the Philippines, Abdel Aati said he was due to meet Oman’s foreign minister on Thursday. He said a specific proposal is under discussion that he hopes will help de-escalate the situation, and added that it still needs further discussion between Oman and Iran and is related to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Abdel Aati said talks can resume if both sides have the political will, to implement the June interim agreement and reach a final deal.