Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on Saturday afternoon, Iranian media reported.
The meeting was important for Iran. It took place on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia. Iran is seeking to influence Egypt on issues relating to Gaza.
“During their meeting, Amir Abdollahian extended gratitude for Egypt’s proactive measures in addressing the Gaza crisis and reiterated Iran’s readiness to extend humanitarian assistance to the region, urging Cairo’s collaboration in these humanitarian efforts,” Tehran Times reported. The meeting was important for Iran, and Iranian state media covered it and also put out footage showing the men meeting.
Discussing the current war in Gaza
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also posted about the meeting on social media, saying that the men “discussed key issues on the Agenda of the Summit and ongoing efforts to stop the current war in Gaza.” According to the Iranian reports, “Sameh Shoukry expressed satisfaction with the meeting, reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to dialogue with Iran and the advancement of bilateral relations. He expressed optimism that ongoing political and diplomatic endeavors would contribute to halting the Gaza conflict and safeguarding Palestinian rights.”
Egypt reiterated its stance against further escalation in the region. Iran slammed Israel’s “atrocities” during the meeting.
“This meeting held particular significance as Egypt is eager to maintain strong ties with Iran, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations and collaborate in efforts to curb Israeli abuses in Palestine,” the Iranian reports said, also noting that the Americans, Qataris, and Egyptians are currently focused on ceasefire talks and a hostage deal.
The Iranian diplomat appeared pleased to see Egypt oppose an Israeli operation in Rafah. Iran backs Hamas. Iran’s delegation will be in The Gambia for another day, through Sunday. The Iranian top diplomat also held meetings with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. This appears to come as reports in various foreign media have focused on the chances of normalization between Riyadh and Jakarta.
The reports indicate that Iran is seeking to use the meetings in Banjul to strengthen its hand and bring up the Palestinian issue.