Egyptian authorities are reportedly in talks with representatives of the Yemeni rebel group Houthis, associated with the Ansar Allah movement, and Iran to find a resolution to the situation in the Red Sea, especially with a decline in traffic through the Suez Canal, Al Araby Al Jadeed reported citing Egyptian sources.
According to unnamed sources, these talks were initiated after the January 12 US-UK strike on Ansar Allah facilities. The discussions aimed to assess the potential repercussions of any Houthi retaliation. Cairo reportedly assured the Houthis that Egypt would not participate in hostile actions against Ansar Allah. Additionally, Egyptian representatives conveyed successful negotiations with Israel to increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The Houthis allegedly indicated that they have no intention to expand the operation but would focus on attacking ships affiliated with Israel.
Another source suggested that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian plans to visit Egypt in the coming days. The source highlighted an improvement in relations between Cairo and Tehran amid the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Following the Gaza conflict escalation, the Houthis announced plans to strike Israeli territory and prevent ships affiliated with Israel from passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait until the Gaza operation ceased. The US military's Central Command estimates that the Houthis have attacked over 20 civilian vessels in the Red Sea since mid-November 2023.
Amid the worsening Red Sea situation, some companies have rerouted ships, traditionally using the Suez Canal route, through the Cape of Good Hope in southern South Africa. However, this alternative route takes 10-14 days longer, leading to increased costs.
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Based on materials from TASS