Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt and Turkey have warned that the escalating war involving the United States, Israel and Iran could trigger “catastrophic consequences” for regional and global stability, as the conflict entered its sixth day and continued to spread across the Middle East.
In a phone call on Thursday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the rapidly deteriorating security situation and stressed the need for diplomatic solutions rather than further military escalation.
According to a statement from Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, both officials warned that the continuation of hostilities could destabilize the wider region and have far-reaching international repercussions.
Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s “complete rejection and condemnation” of any threats to Turkish sovereignty and emphasized Cairo’s commitment to international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The diplomatic exchange came hours after air defense systems belonging to NATO intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile near Turkish airspace. Turkish officials said the missile was not believed to have been intended for Turkey itself but was part of Iran’s broader retaliatory campaign against U.S.-linked military sites across the region.
The missile incident highlights the growing risk of the conflict spilling into neighboring countries. Several states across the eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf have already been affected by the expanding confrontation.
Among them is Cyprus, which hosts a major British military base and has found itself increasingly exposed to regional military activity as the conflict intensifies.
During the call, Abdelatty urged all parties to exercise restraint to avoid what he described as a slide into widespread regional chaos, stressing the importance of reviving diplomatic efforts.
The war erupted after coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and military infrastructure, halting ongoing attempts to resume negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Since the initial attacks, Iran has launched retaliatory strikes across the region while international powers have scrambled to contain the fallout from a conflict that now threatens to draw in additional states and reshape security dynamics across the Middle East.
