Egypt and Qatar called on Washington and Tehran on Monday to de-escalate and respond to mediation efforts to end their conflict following an exchange of attacks between Iran and Israel.
In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stressed the importance of reaching a swift agreement between the US and Iran “to restore security and stability in the region, and address all outstanding issues and files, including the Iranian nuclear file and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, in a way that contributes to ending the war completely.”
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also called for containing the current escalation in the region and for the US and Iran to respond to the ongoing mediation efforts to reach an agreement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Sheikh Mohammed and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed over phone the mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran, and the latest developments in Lebanon.
Tensions escalated on Sunday, when Israel bombed the Lebanese capital Beirut, despite an ongoing ceasefire, prompting Iran to launch missiles at northern Israel in retaliation, with Israel launching several waves of airstrikes against Iran.
Tehran later said it was halting attacks on Israel, warning of a "crushing" response if Israeli attacks against Lebanon continued.
The region has been on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.
A temporary ceasefire was reached on April 8, but negotiations later stalled amid disputes over its implementation and subsequent regional developments.
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