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Arab World

Egypt, Iran Agree to Continue Consultations on Normalizing Relations

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meet in Banjul (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meet in Banjul (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt, Iran Agree to Continue Consultations on Normalizing Relations

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meet in Banjul (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meet in Banjul (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, met on Saturday on the sidelines of the 15th annual Islamic Summit Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Banjul, where they discussed bilateral relations and the war in Gaza.

Shoukry and Abdollahian agreed to “continue consultations to address all outstanding topics and issues toward normalizing relations,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The meeting also touched on the Egyptian-Iranian bilateral relations in light of previous meetings between the two ministers and the directives of the leadership of both countries.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, last November on the sidelines of the Arab–Islamic extraordinary summit hosted by Saudi Arabia.

Since then, telephone contacts between the two sides have multiplied, both at the presidential and ministerial levels. They mostly focused on “the situation in the Gaza Strip, and fears of escalation of regional tension,” according to official statements from both sides.

“Developments in the region necessitate meetings between Egypt and Iran to follow up on decisions taken in previous summits, especially with regard to bilateral relations,” Ali el-Hefny, Egypt's former ambassador to China and former deputy foreign minister, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

According to Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid, Shoukry and Abdollahian’s meeting on Saturday addressed key issues of the Islamic Summit agenda. “The two ministers agreed on the importance of bolstering unity among Islamic countries amid immense challenges,” the spokesman said.

The ministers also discussed the ongoing war in Gaza. Shoukry was keen to inform his Iranian counterpart of the Egyptian efforts aimed at reaching a truce in the Palestinian enclave that would allow the exchange of hostages and detainees to reach a full and permanent ceasefire.

The two men then stressed their rejection of any ground military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah that would “put the lives of more than a million Palestinians at imminent danger and would worsen the humanitarian situation in the strip.”

Iran and Egypt ended diplomatic relations in 1979. Ties were resumed 11 years later but on the level of Chargé d'Affaires.

Several meetings were held in the past months between Egyptian and Iranian ministers to discuss the possibility of developing bilateral ties.

Last May, the Iranian President directed the Foreign Ministry to take the necessary measures to enhance relations with Egypt.

On Saturday, Shoukry briefed his Iranian counterpart on the outcome of meetings he held recently on the sidelines the World Economic Forum, and contacts he made with European officials to resolve the crisis in Gaza.

He stressed the urgency of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip while calling for continued entry of urgent humanitarian aid “completely, safely, and without obstacles.”

The Egyptian minister also affirmed the importance of encouraging countries to recognize a Palestinian state, adding that this would contribute to strengthening efforts to establish a Palestinian state based on the two-state solution.

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Arab World

Egypt Moves to Step Up Fuel Supply Ahead of Rise in Power Demand This Summer

Egyptian youths play football in an open area beside a mountain near Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2026, as the country follows the FIFA World Cup. (Reuters)
Egyptian youths play football in an open area beside a mountain near Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2026, as the country follows the FIFA World Cup. (Reuters)
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Egypt Moves to Step Up Fuel Supply Ahead of Rise in Power Demand This Summer

Egyptian youths play football in an open area beside a mountain near Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2026, as the country follows the FIFA World Cup. (Reuters)
Egyptian youths play football in an open area beside a mountain near Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2026, as the country follows the FIFA World Cup. (Reuters)

Egypt's ‌electricity and petroleum ministers met on Tuesday to coordinate fuel supply and grid management ahead of a summer in which power demand is expected to rise 8% over last year's record peak of 40,000 megawatts, according to a joint ministry statement.

Electricity Minister Mahmoud Esmat and ‌Petroleum Minister Karim ‌Badawi said the two ‌ministries ⁠were working as "one ⁠team" to secure fuel supplies for power stations and stabilize the national grid during peak hours.

Esmat said the electricity sector planned to add 2,200 MW of renewable ⁠energy capacity and 1,300 MW ‌of battery ‌storage to the grid this year, and ‌had already cut fuel consumption ‌per kilowatt to below 170 grams.

Badawi said that LNG regasification vessels were operating at high efficiency to supplement gas ‌production, while the Damietta LNG export terminal was being used ⁠to ⁠store LNG cargoes to be used when needed.

Egypt suffered severe rolling blackouts in 2023 and had to rely on foreign funding to stabilize its grid in 2024.

Egypt's gas production stood at 3,214 million cubic meters in April, while imports were 2,190 million cubic meters, according to the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI).

Arab World

Arab League Secretary-General Condemns Israeli Attacks on Syria

A man holds an unexploded artillery shell that fell during reported overnight Israeli bombardment that hit the village of Abidin in Syria's southwestern Daraa province, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on June 29, 2026. (AFP)
A man holds an unexploded artillery shell that fell during reported overnight Israeli bombardment that hit the village of Abidin in Syria's southwestern Daraa province, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on June 29, 2026. (AFP)
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Arab League Secretary-General Condemns Israeli Attacks on Syria

A man holds an unexploded artillery shell that fell during reported overnight Israeli bombardment that hit the village of Abidin in Syria's southwestern Daraa province, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on June 29, 2026. (AFP)
A man holds an unexploded artillery shell that fell during reported overnight Israeli bombardment that hit the village of Abidin in Syria's southwestern Daraa province, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on June 29, 2026. (AFP)

Outgoing Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit strongly condemned on Tuesday the Israeli attacks and repeated incursions into Syrian territory, most recently the artillery shelling that targeted the governorates of Quneitra and Daraa.

He described these actions as a “blatant violation” of Syria's sovereignty and a “flagrant breach” of international law.

In a statement, Aboul Gheit warned that “the continued violations by the Israeli forces threaten to widen the scope of the conflict and undermine efforts to restore security and stability.”

He called on the United Nations Security Council “to fulfill its responsibilities by taking action to end these aggressive actions and ensure Israel's compliance with the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.”

Arab World

Lebanon’s Shiite Alliance United Against Israel Framework Deal, Divided Over Protests

Hezbollah supporters block the old airport road in Beirut’s southern suburbs with burning tires on Saturday to protest the 2026 trilateral agreement signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon (AFP)
Hezbollah supporters block the old airport road in Beirut’s southern suburbs with burning tires on Saturday to protest the 2026 trilateral agreement signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon (AFP)
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Lebanon’s Shiite Alliance United Against Israel Framework Deal, Divided Over Protests

Hezbollah supporters block the old airport road in Beirut’s southern suburbs with burning tires on Saturday to protest the 2026 trilateral agreement signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon (AFP)
Hezbollah supporters block the old airport road in Beirut’s southern suburbs with burning tires on Saturday to protest the 2026 trilateral agreement signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon (AFP)

Calls by Hezbollah supporters to take to the streets in protest against the US-sponsored framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel has drawn only a few dozen demonstrators in downtown Beirut.

Also, dozens of motorcyclists blocked the airport road before the Lebanese army reopened it, underscoring the limited scale of the protests.

Observers attributed this to the absence of supporters from the Amal Movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, highlighting one of the main obstacles to any attempt to mobilize the street.

The Israel-Lebanon deal calls for Hezbollah to be disarmed before Israel will withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon. Israel agreed to withdraw initially from a couple of “pilot zones” where the Lebanese army would then deploy, but no details have been shared about how that will work in practice.

While Hezbollah and Amal - the two pillars of Lebanon’s Shiite alliance - remain united in rejecting the agreement, sources familiar with Amal’s position told Asharq Al-Awsat that the priority is to challenge it through constitutional institutions while keeping all options open as events unfold.

Opponents of the alliance, however, argue that there’s a growing discord between the two parties on how to navigate the next phase.

Unified rejection

Mohammad Khawaja, a member of the parliamentary Development and Liberation bloc, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the bloc categorically rejects the agreement, describing it as “a bad and completely unacceptable deal.”

Khawaja dismissed reports of differences between Amal and Hezbollah, insisting that “all talk of divisions within the Shiite duo is unfounded."

He added that the agreement was unacceptable in its current form and expressed hope that those behind it would reconsider it.

No decision on street protests

Sources within the Shiite duo told Asharq Al-Awsat that it is “premature” to offer assurances about whether street protests will or will not be held.

The sources said the current stage requires patience and that the alliance’s response will depend on political and constitutional developments surrounding the agreement. All options, they added, remain on the table.

That position broadly aligns with recent statements by Hezbollah officials, who have argued that the agreement “will not survive.”

At the same time, the party has sought to distance itself from recent street protests, saying they reflect public distrust of the authorities. While Hezbollah rejects both the agreement and the direct negotiations that produced it, it denies organizing or mobilizing the demonstrations.

Opponents of the Shiite alliance argue that differences are becoming increasingly apparent, particularly on how the agreement could reshape Lebanon’s domestic political landscape.

While both Hezbollah and Amal continue to emphasize their united rejection of the deal and favor constitutional and political channels for now, critics believe the coming months will reveal whether that cohesion endures or evolves into a more visible political divide.

Independent MP Ibrahim Mneimneh told Asharq Al-Awsat that Berri appears fully aware of the responsibility he bears and may seek to give state-building a genuine opportunity, while Hezbollah continues to rely on a highly polarizing political discourse.