Egypt and Saudi Arabia stress freedom of Hormuz navigation, call for de-escalation
Cairo, July 13
Egypt and Saudi Arabia on Monday stressed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law, and called for de-escalation as Iran and the United States exchanged a fresh round of attacks.
The remarks were made during a phone conversation between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The two ministers stressed the need to ensure the safety and security of international shipping and warned that any disruption to maritime traffic would have negative repercussions for the global economy and energy security, Xinhua news agency reported.
They discussed the recent regional escalation, reiterating their condemnation of Iran's attacks targeting Gulf Arab states and Jordan and calling for an immediate halt to all escalatory actions.
Meanwhile, Explosions were heard at noon on Monday around the port city of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported, citing local sources.
The report said the explosion sounds came from regions away from the urban area and appeared to be centred on the western coast of Bandar Abbas.
The explosions could be linked to ongoing clashes occurring in the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters, it added.
Authorities of Hormozgan province have announced that no casualties or damage to residential and commercial infrastructure were reported in the fresh US attacks against Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, according to Mehr.
The Bahrain Defence Force said on Monday that its air defence systems had intercepted several Iranian aerial attacks.
In a statement, the Bahrain Defence Force accused Iran of continuing what it described as a "systematic hostile approach" through missile and drone attacks against the kingdom.
— IANS
Reader Comments
India has always been a voice for peace in West Asia. We have millions of workers in the Gulf region, and our energy security depends on these waters. I'm glad Egypt and Saudi Arabia are coordinating—they're the two key Arab powers. But Iran needs to understand that targeting shipping lanes hurts everyone, including their own economy. Diplomacy, not drones! ✌️
This is typical Gulf politics—Arab nations condemning Iran while the US bombs Iranian ports. The Strait of Hormuz is a global waterway, not a bargaining chip. I'm from Canada and we rely on stable oil prices too. But both sides need to show restraint. Calling for de-escalation is easy; actually sitting down and negotiating is harder.
My uncle works in Dubai and he says the tensions are palpable there. The Bahrain defence force intercepting Iranian drones is scary—this could easily spiral into a regional war. And where does that leave India? Stuck between our friends in the Gulf and our strategic partner Iran. The Egyptian-Saudi phone call is a good step, but we need the UN to step in seriously. 😟
Respectfully, I think both Egypt and Saudi Arabia are being a bit hypocritical here. They condemn Iran while their ally the US is bombing Iranian ports? that's not de-escalation, that's taking sides. The Strait of Hormuz should be free for all, yes, but maybe the root cause is the US withdrawing from the nuclear deal and the sanctions that followed. Just my 2 paisa. 🤔
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