Qatar emir, Egyptian foreign minister call for de-escalation in the Middle East

Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Sunday stressed the need to reduce tensions in the Middle East region, end the war and prioritise diplomacy to prevent a broader conflict.

This came during their meeting in Doha, according to a statement from Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, at the start of Abdelatty’s Gulf tour to discuss regional developments amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

The meeting reviewed the current situation and the dangerous military escalation in the region, highlighting the importance of de-escalation and ending the war, the statement said.

The two also emphasised the need to prioritise diplomatic solutions and dialogue to avoid an expansion of the conflict and the region sliding into widespread chaos.

'Military solution not effective'

They stressed that military solutions would not be effective in resolving the crisis, according to the statement.

The talks come as regional tensions have flared since Israel and the US launched attacks against Iran on February 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets.”