CAIRO / ISTANBUL

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, discussed over the phone on Wednesday ways of strengthening bilateral relations, and developments of Tehran’s nuclear file.

According to an Egyptian Foreign Ministry readout, the two ministers expressed their aspiration to continue consultation and coordination between Cairo and Tehran on bilateral issues in a way that serves the mutual interests of both countries.

Discussions also covered the latest developments of Iran’s nuclear file, the statement said.

Abdelatty stressed the importance of continuing efforts to de-escalate tensions and resuming dialogue to reach a comprehensive agreement on the nuclear file, protecting the interests of all parties and contributing to regional security and stability.

In September, the Egyptian presidency announced that Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had reached an agreement in Cairo to resume cooperation. The move came after Tehran suspended cooperation with the nuclear watchdog, accusing the agency of bias.

Tension escalated after Israel launched a surprise attack on Tehran on June 13, targeting military, nuclear, and civilian sites as well as senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.

Tehran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes, while the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. The 12-day conflict came to a halt under a US-sponsored ceasefire that took effect on June 24.