Egypt calls for US-Iran de-escalation, safeguards for navigation as Hormuz conflict widens
Egypt on Saturday called for an immediate halt to military operations and all forms of escalation, stressing the need to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea as attacks on shipping and military sites intensified across the Gulf.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed efforts to contain the crisis during separate telephone calls with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Abdelatty urged all parties to prioritise political and diplomatic solutions, warning that any threat to strategic waterways would undermine regional security, international trade, and global supply chains.
Egypt’s intervention came as US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced a new wave of strikes against Iran, saying the operation was aimed at degrading military capabilities used to target commercial shipping and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said Iran remained in contact with Washington and was seeking an agreement, although he added that Tehran was not yet prepared to reach one. US media reported that Trump was consulting senior advisers on whether to expand the military campaign, while the Pentagon deployed additional aircraft to the region.
At sea, the US military said it disabled a merchant tanker in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel repeatedly attempted to breach a blockade imposed on Iranian ports. CENTCOM also said a US destroyer disabled another vessel and redirected six commercial ships during enforcement operations.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy, meanwhile, said it had stopped four vessels within 24 hours after they attempted to use what Tehran described as an unsafe southern route through the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian military spokesman warned that countries accused of assisting US military operations could face difficulties transiting the strategic waterway.
Araghchi said Tehran would not accept a temporary ceasefire unless its demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz were addressed. He said a memorandum of understanding with Washington required Iran to arrange the reopening of the strait within one month and provide free navigation services for 60 days before discussing a longer-term management mechanism with Oman.
Qatar and Pakistan submitted a joint proposal calling on Iran and the United States to return to their positions before July 9 as a first step towards resuming negotiations. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani also told Abdelatty in Doha that all parties should implement the existing understandings and guarantee freedom of navigation.
Military exchanges continued across the region. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, including Sakhir Air Base, Salman Port, and Camp Arifjan. Kuwait said its air defence systems responded to missile and drone attacks, while Bahrain said it intercepted Iranian aerial strikes and accused Tehran of targeting civilian infrastructure and air navigation systems.
Greek security sources said a Greek-operated air defence system in Saudi Arabia intercepted two ballistic missiles launched from Yemen towards oil refineries in Yanbu. Saudi civil defence also issued an emergency warning for the Jazan region.
In the Gulf of Oman, a Greek shipping company said two tankers under its management were struck by unidentified projectiles. One vessel suffered an engine-room fire, although all crew members were evacuated safely. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it was also investigating a separate incident involving an oil tanker and military forces.
As the regional security situation deteriorated, the European Union agreed to delay the release of some Copernicus satellite imagery covering parts of the Gulf for 24 hours following a US request, marking an exceptional departure from the programme’s open-data policy.
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