The mediation issue between America and Iran was at the forefront of Egyptian meetings on the sidelines of the meetings of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The talk about the Iranian crisis and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz came during meetings of Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati with his counterparts in Iran, Turkey, and the Sultanate of Oman.
Abdel Ati discussed with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi the efforts made and the proposals being put forward in order to reach an agreement that leads to containing tension and reducing escalation.
According to a statement by Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nader Zaki on Friday, Minister Abdel Ati stressed “the extreme importance for each country to assume its responsibilities to ensure the movement and freedom of international navigation, so that the negative repercussions of this crisis on the global economy, which has led to significant disruption of the supply chains for energy and fertilizers, and the movement of international trade, can be contained.”
He stressed “the importance of respecting the security and stability of the Gulf states and all the countries of the region,” stressing “the necessity of returning to dialogue and resuming the diplomatic path through negotiation and reaching understandings between the United States and Iran, as this is the only way to end the current crisis and put an end to the state of escalation that is causing severe damage to the interests of all countries of the region.”
Abdul Ati discussed with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, developments in the regional scene and developments in the Red Sea and “Bab al-Mandab,” as he stressed “the priority of stopping escalation and moving away from any steps that would inflame tension and threaten security and stability, and the necessity of ensuring freedom of navigation movement, in accordance with the rules and provisions of international law, and in a way that contributes to maintaining regional and international security and stability.” He stressed “Egypt’s categorical rejection of harming the security of the sister Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Egypt’s full solidarity with it to preserve its sovereignty and stability,” stressing “the necessity of making way for diplomatic efforts as it is the best path to overcoming any challenges.”
According to the Foreign Ministry spokesman, on Friday, “The Iranian crisis and the situation in (Hormuz) were discussed, and Oman’s appreciated efforts in coordination with Egypt and mediators, in order to reduce the escalation, and the need to maintain the security and safety of shipping traffic, and ensure the flow of trade and energy supplies, was emphasized, which contributes to reducing the repercussions of the current tensions and enhancing regional stability.”
The Egyptian Foreign Minister also met with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, and exchanged with him views on the Iranian crisis, as “the importance of continuing to support mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, to return to the path of negotiations to enhance security and stability in the region, was stressed, while emphasizing the rejection of compromising the security of the sisterly Gulf states or using the straits and sea lanes as a pressure tool in this crisis.”
According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s statement on Friday, Ministers Abdel-Ati and Fidan stressed “the importance of implementing the entitlements of (President Donald Trump’s peace plan) and the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, with the start of the implementation of reconstruction and early recovery.” Abdel Ati stressed that “Egypt rejects any plans to displace Palestinians and condemns settlement expansion in the West Bank.”
The two parties discussed the latest developments in Sudan, with Abdel-Ati stressing “the importance of preserving the unity and sovereignty of Sudan and strengthening the course of negotiations in a way that meets the aspirations of the brotherly Sudanese people and preserves their national institutions.”
The meeting also touched on the situation in Libya and ways to achieve progress in the political process and end the state of division that the country is witnessing. Abdel Ati stressed that “Egypt’s moves towards the Libyan file are based on the priority of preserving Libya’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, in addition to supporting the unity of its national institutions,” stressing “the importance of integrating regional and international efforts in support of the Libyan political track, in a way that contributes to helping the Libyan parties reach a sustainable settlement that expresses their will and preserves the unity of the state and its institutions.”
Abdel Ati also discussed, during a meeting with the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States and its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, on Friday, developments in the situation in Iran and the security of the Red Sea, as the Egyptian Foreign Minister affirmed his country’s vision “based on the necessity of reducing tensions, and the importance of resorting to dialogue and diplomatic means to settle differences, while ensuring freedom of maritime navigation in the straits and corridors, as well as the movement of international trade and supply chains.”
Heavy rains and torrential rains struck large areas extending from southern to western and northern Libya, causing the destruction of roads and bridges and drowning victims, while the security services rushed to rescue and evacuate stranded families, coinciding with the interim “national unity” government declaring a state of extreme emergency.
The cities of Mizda and Nesma (southwestern Libya) are experiencing miserable humanitarian and field conditions, as a result of the influx of torrents and the flooding of valleys since Thursday, which led to the destruction of road networks, the storming of homes, and the sweeping away of cars, in addition to toppling high-tension cable towers, and causing massive damage to public and private property.
The Ministry of Local Government of the “National Unity” government sent bulldozers and heavy trucks to the two cities to contribute to rescue operations and confront the repercussions of the wave of rain and torrential rains sweeping the region, especially after the collapse of the bridge linking Mizdah and the Tennai region, which led to the complete blockage of the road and the isolation of the area connected to it.
The Ministry also sent an urgent appeal to the residents of the city of Mizda “to stay in their homes and stay away from the floodwaters,” while the municipal council mobilized its energies to provide humanitarian and logistical aid, most notably the operation of the flying ambulance to enhance the urgent response and meet the emergency needs of the city and its suburbs.
For its part, the media center of the Municipality of Nessma declared, on Friday, the city a “disaster area,” noting widespread damage to infrastructure and property. He stressed that the emergency teams and relevant agencies are continuing to work to evacuate families trapped inside their homes flooded by floodwaters, and to search for missing persons, in light of fears of the continued severe weather wave during the coming hours.
Meanwhile, Mizda General Hospital sent an urgent distress call, on Friday morning, to the competent authorities to quickly supply it with basic medical supplies after most of them ran out, warning of the deterioration of the health situation in light of the bad weather conditions. He stressed that the continued provision of emergency and health care services is dependent on the immediate response to meet field needs.
The Ambulance and Emergency Service said that the torrents that swept through homes forced families in Nasma to climb mountains and high places due to the heavy flow of water, and indicated that two drowned people were recovered, while a number of people were still missing. Note that the roads leading to the city are completely closed.
On Friday, the General Company for Water and Sanitation dispatched emergency teams from the city of Al-Khoms (western Libya) to drain pools and swamps of rainwater, and open roads that had been flooded by torrents.
The “Emergency Medicine and Support Center” announced, on Thursday evening, that the emergency team in the city of Ghadames was able to rescue a Filipino engineer affiliated with the “Man-Made River” Company, after his vehicle broke down inside a valley during a mission to inspect wells, coinciding with the flow of the valley, and explained that he was reached and brought out.
In Bani Walid (northwest of Libya), the Security Directorate announced the closure of the Bani Walid-Tarhuna road due to the torrents of Wadi and Shatata, warning motorists of the sweeping flow of torrents, and of passing or approaching the valley’s course.
The “Bani Walid General Hospital” received a number of cases that almost drowned in the “Teninai” region (southwest of the country), which was affected by the floods, and it explained in a statement that the medical teams “dealt with the cases urgently upon their arrival.” He stressed that the level of preparedness and preparedness in various departments had been raised to provide immediate medical care and deal with any emergency cases around the clock.
The General Electricity Company in Tripoli noted that it had activated the follow-up and emergency room, and had raised the readiness of maintenance and emergency teams to deal with the repercussions of weather fluctuations, rain, and torrential rains, and to intervene urgently to address any malfunctions that might affect the electrical network.
The Minister of State for the Affairs of the Prime Minister of the “Unity” Government and the Council of Ministers, Muhammad bin Ghalboun, said on Friday that he directed the competent authorities to raise the level of readiness and maximum readiness to deal with the weather fluctuations and heavy rains that several regions witnessed, and the resulting flow of some valleys and the entry of rainwater into neighborhoods and homes.
The directives included “taking urgent measures, field coordination between the competent authorities and municipalities in the affected areas, quickly responding to emergency situations, providing ambulance, emergency and health care services, treating water puddles and opening damaged roads, ensuring the continuity of electricity, communications and water services, and protecting lives and public and private property.”
The Libyan Red Crescent Society announced that it had raised the degree of readiness in the Central Operations and Emergency Room of the General Secretariat, to follow developments in the rain wave and torrential rains around the clock. She explained that the field teams are working to update the data received from the branches and prepare immediate reports, to ensure speedy assessment of humanitarian needs and coordination of emergency response operations.
The association called on citizens to “take weather warnings seriously, and adhere to the instructions of the competent authorities and local authorities, while avoiding movement except for necessity during intense rain, and staying away from flood streams, valleys, and places where water collects.”
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Sheikh Al-Ghazouani said that his country is heading towards a “better stage in the future, despite the turmoil and instability the world is experiencing,” stressing that his government “will solve the problem of mobilizing financial resources to implement development projects.”
Ould Al-Ghazouani was speaking on the night of Thursday-Friday, in front of a number of residents of the city of Akjoujt (250 kilometers north of the capital, Nouakchott), which is the area where the oldest copper and gold mines in the country are located.
For about a week, Ould Ghazouani has been touring the regions of northern Mauritania, where he meets residents, discusses the economic situation with them, and listens to their problems, while a number of ministers accompanying him respond to the residents’ demands.
In his speech to the residents of the city of Akjoujt, Ould Ghazouani affirmed his confidence that “the next stage will be better for the country and its various internal regions,” and in the same context, he pointed out that “Mauritania, despite the unrest and instability the world is witnessing, is capable of facing various challenges.” He stressed that “mobilizing financial resources will not, in the future, be an obstacle to implementing the development projects that the country needs,” after he spoke at length about the state’s relationship with international companies that exploit copper and gold mines.
He explained that “providing ideal conditions for exploiting mineral resources means adopting a policy that balances the importance of local and national benefiting from these resources, and rejecting and preventing everything that would affect health conditions and the environment.”
There are 3 major mines in Mauritania, the most famous of which is the iron ore mine in the city of Zouerate, which is exploited by a Mauritanian company, the copper mine in Akjoujt, which is exploited by a Canadian company, and the gold mine in Taziazt, which also belongs to a Canadian company.
The Mauritanian President explained that his government is seeking to open new mines, especially in light of the presence of huge mineral indicators in different regions of the country. He said that “the industrial mining sector has promising prospects,” as his government is working to “remove the obstacles that prevent the exploitation of new mines, thus allowing the creation of more job opportunities and providing additional financial resources for the country.”
Regarding the currently existing mines, Ould Al-Ghazouani said that the company that exploits the copper mine in Akjoujt had its contract renewed about a year ago, indicating that the primary goal of the renewal was “to ensure the continuation of economic activity in the city, and to preserve the job opportunities provided by the company,” stressing that the government was keen to “improve the conditions for renewing the contract, and align it with the provisions of the new mineral code, instead of the conditions to which the previous contract was subject.”
Ould Ghazouani has ruled Mauritania since 2019, and was re-elected for a second presidential term in 2024, but he faces sharp criticism from the opposition “because of his economic policies based on taxes and the removal of subsidies on fuel and basic materials,” while he asserts that the lifting of subsidies “was accompanied by a social policy aimed at supporting the poor classes.”
During the years of his rule, Ould Ghazouani succeeded in doubling the state budget and relying on a large percentage of the state budget to implement development projects, taking advantage of the rise in gold and iron prices, and the start of the production and export of natural gas.
