Cairo: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, reaffirmed their countries' shared desire to continue consultations and coordination on bilateral issues during a phone call, stressing the need to deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
According to State Information Service Egypt, FM Abdelatty highlighted the importance of continuing de-escalation efforts, building confidence, and creating conditions that support diplomatic engagement. He affirmed Egypt's support for a return to negotiations to reach a comprehensive agreement that protects the interests of all parties and strengthens regional security and stability. The two ministers also discussed developments related to the Iranian nuclear file, according to a foreign ministry statement.
In 2023-2024, Cairo and Tehran held presidential-level meetings on the sidelines of international forums, including the UN General Assembly and several regional summits. Both sides explored cooperation in limited technical areas, such as aviation, consular services, and trade facilitation. They also continued broader strategic consultations on regional crises, including Gaza, Syria, Yemen, and maritime security in the Red Sea.
In early September, a technical agreement was reached between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during talks held in Cairo. The agreement was announced following a meeting between Araghchi and IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi to restore a basic level of cooperation and nuclear monitoring after months of worsening oversight of Iran's nuclear programme. It came in response to the June 2025 attacks on several Iranian nuclear facilities carried out by Israel and the United States.
Under the Cairo framework, Iran agreed to allow the IAEA to resume inspections at operational and 'unaffected' facilities, restoring access that had been withdrawn after the June strikes. The deal also re-established monitoring of uranium stockpiles, centrifuge inventories, and other technical indicators needed to maintain a baseline of transparency.
At the time, Grossi described the Cairo arrangement as an essential first step toward rebuilding confidence and preventing further escalation. Iranian officials portrayed the agreement domestically as a balanced outcome that protected national security while avoiding increased international pressure. Tensions soon resurfaced, with the IAEA Board of Governors passing a resolution on 19 November, backed by the United States and the European E3 (France, Germany, and the UK), calling for immediate and unrestricted access to all Iranian nuclear facilities, including heavily damaged sites that Tehran said were not included in the Cairo agreement.
Iranian leaders condemned the resolution as a breach of the agreement and accused Western governments of politicizing the agency's work and undermining the fragile progress made in Cairo. On 20 November, Tehran announced that it considered the Cairo agreement 'terminated,' effectively halting the expanded cooperation mechanisms it had previously accepted.