Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Aragchi, Tuesday morning to follow up on Monday’s meeting with the Mecca Alliance ministers, reports Al Ahram. Referencing the Tehran talks on Monday, where officials were “seeking to avert renewed US-Israeli attacks against Iran,” Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nader Zaki reported that Abdelatty had “expressed Egypt’s full support for efforts to contain tensions and prevent the region from sliding into a wider crisis… [and] also discussed continued consultations between Iran and the four-country ministerial mechanism, known as the R4, comprising Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey.” Abdelatty “stressed the importance of each party fulfilling its role in achieving de-escalation, particularly given the increasingly worrying signs that have emerged recently,” he added. “The mechanism’s recent diplomatic efforts underscored the need to unify regional efforts, with all influential parties shouldering their responsibilities in addressing current challenges and reducing tensions, the statement said.”

“During the phone call, the two top diplomats exchanged their views on host of issues, including bilateral relations, latest developments in the region and also issues of mutual respect,” the brief Iranian readout reported. “The two foreign ministers also emphasized the need for continuing the political and diplomatic consultations to safeguard and maintain stability in the region.”