Egypt on Sunday urged restraint amid escalating regional tensions and stressed the importance of ensuring security of maritime navigation during a series of high-level diplomatic contacts.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty held phone conversations with the foreign ministers of Iran, Türkiye, Pakistan and Qatar, in addition to US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, pressing for de-escalation and a halt to the war in the region.

The high-level contacts took place under directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to prevent the situation in the region from spiraling out of control, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Abdelatty stressed the need to contain the ongoing military escalation and prevent the conflict from widening, particularly in light of mutual threats and strikes on civilian and infrastructure targets, the ministry said.

He emphasized the importance of restraint and wisdom at this critical moment, highlighting the importance of keeping maritime navigation safe and uninterrupted due to its regional and global economic impact on trade, supply chains, and energy and food prices.

The minister also reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Gulf security and firm rejection of any attacks on the Gulf states, underscoring that Gulf stability is directly linked to regional and Egyptian national security.

The talks come as the US-Israel war in Iran enters its fourth week, with Iran continuing retaliatory missile and drone strikes that have targeted Israel and also extended to Gulf states and regional infrastructure.

The Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint linking the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman that normally carries about one‑fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas, has emerged as a key flashpoint in the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

Repeated attacks on tankers and security threats in the region since the start of the war on February 28 have disrupted shipping and raised concerns among energy traders along the strait.