Cairo: Egypt's National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has mandated mobile operators to provide subscribers with five free international minutes to connect with family members in six Arab nations, as per a statement from the regulator. Each subscriber can utilize these complimentary minutes to reach out to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.According to State Information Service Egypt, the initiative is part of the regulator's strategy to assist citizens in staying connected with relatives abroad amid ongoing regional developments impacting these countries. The NTRA emphasized its commitment to monitoring regional situations and working in collaboration with mobile operators to ensure the continuous provision of efficient and secure telecommunications services.In addition, Egypt's foreign ministry has introduced a WhatsApp hotline to support inquiries from Egyptian nationals in the affected countries due to the escalating military confrontations. The hotline, r eachable at +201222285800, offers a direct line for citizens to communicate with consular officials regarding their safety.Several Gulf nations have reported casualties and damage following Iranian retaliatory strikes in response to US-Israeli actions that resulted in the death of Iran's supreme leader and other senior officials. In Kuwait, the health ministry reported one fatality and 32 injuries among foreign nationals since the onset of Iran's retaliatory campaign. The United Arab Emirates witnessed three deaths and 58 injuries, with the defence ministry noting the detection and destruction of numerous missiles and drones.In Qatar, the interior ministry reported 16 injuries with minor structural damage, while Bahrain's air defences intercepted several missiles and drones with smoke observed near Manama. Oman experienced drone strikes targeting the Duqm commercial port, causing injuries and leading to the evacuation of an oil tanker crew amid attacks off its coast.