As officials seek to prevent renewed military confrontations, Egypt and Saudi Arabia used a Thursday call to urge unidentified parties toward negotiations and sustain diplomatic efforts.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed how to preserve space for talks, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said. The two agreed to widen contact with relevant parties and seek broader political support for negotiations. They also urged parties to show flexibility and commit to avoiding steps that could worsen regional security.
Ministry spokesman Nader Zaki said their discussion covered de-escalation efforts with other governments, including the United States and Qatar. The ministry statement left unspecified which parties were being asked to negotiate and offered no description of a particular initiative. Its account centered on keeping diplomatic channels active and discouraging escalation.
Qatar said Nov. 3 that Washington and Tehran continued exchanging proposals through mediators and expressed hope for an agreement. Qatar’s update tied the proposals to mediation efforts aimed at reaching an agreement.
Anadolu Agency’s report also outlined the recent conflict timeline. It said fighting began after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28, a ceasefire followed in April and a memorandum was signed in June, before fighting resumed in July.
Thursday’s call followed a wider diplomatic effort by the R4 group, which includes Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. At their Oct. 23 Istanbul meeting, R4 ministers urged negotiations over the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict and called for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Their joint statement warned that shipping disruptions threatened global supply chains, as EconoTimes reported in its coverage of the Oct. 23 call for diplomacy and safe Hormuz shipping.
