Egypt, Iran explore efforts to reach cease-fire in Gaza

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Saturday emphasized to his Iranian acting counterpart Ali Bagheri Kani the need to contain escalation in the region.

This came during a phone call, which was the third in 48 hours between Kani and the foreign ministers of Egypt and Qatar, who are mediating efforts to reach a cease-fire in the Palestinian enclave, where Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

These communications coincide with intensive international efforts to prevent escalation in the region, amid threats from Iran and Hezbollah to respond to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr in July.

According to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the call between Abdelatty and Kani was "within the framework of Egypt's intensive efforts aimed at containing the escalation in the region, and the ongoing communication with all relevant regional and international parties to ease the tension in the region."

"Egyptian efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza were discussed," with the Egyptian minister affirming that "the international community is more aware than ever of the need to end the war and achieve a deal for the exchange of hostages and prisoners."

For his part, Kani expressed his "appreciation for Egypt's current efforts and the responsibility Cairo bears to stop the war in Gaza and achieve calm."

On Thursday and Friday, Kani received phone calls from Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, which included a reaffirmation of the need for de-escalation and reducing tensions in the region.