ISTANBUL

Egypt is intensifying diplomatic efforts with regional and international partners to prevent the Middle East from sliding into a broader confrontation with Iran, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Friday, warning that further escalation would deepen an already fragile regional landscape.

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group’s ministerial committee in Slovenia, Abdelatty said avoiding confrontation with Iran and prioritizing diplomatic solutions remain a top priority for Cairo, as the region faces overlapping crises.

“The region is already overwhelmed by crises, and avoiding a slide into wider conflict with Iran is essential,” he said, noting ongoing coordination with key partners, including the United States and the European Union.

Indirect negotiations between the US and Iran began in Oman on Friday, in an effort to defuse their rising tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Turning to Gaza, the Egyptian foreign minister rejected any attempt to divide the enclave, calling such moves a “red line that cannot be accepted.”

He said conditions in Gaza remain extremely fragile despite limited progress, accusing Israel of placing obstacles to Palestinian travel through the Rafah crossing from both sides and hindering the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory.

Abdelatty also warned of a deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank, citing Israel’s “continued policies of repression, intimidation of Palestinian civilians and the seizure of land by force.”

Egypt, he said, continues to push for restraint across multiple fronts, cautioning that unchecked escalation, whether linked to Gaza, the West Bank or tensions involving Iran, could drag the region into a broader and more dangerous conflict.