Egypt says it will not assist Israel in repelling Iranian attack — report

Egypt informed the high-level Israeli delegation that visited Cairo on Saturday for indirect talks with American and Egyptian negotiators that it will not be part of a regional military coalition to repel a potential Iranian retaliatory attack against Israel, the Qatari-owned news outlet al-Araby al-Jadeed reports.

In April, a massive drone and missile attack from Iran was foiled by a coalition that comprised Israel, the United States, Britain, France, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

In an effort to maintain its neutrality and de-escalate tensions in the region sparked by the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, Egypt also notified Tehran that it will close its airspace to any military action that would threaten regional security, the Qatari outlet writes.

Cairo officials tell their Iranian counterparts that the measure should not be perceived as hostile behavior toward Iran, but rather as a way to safeguard Egypt’s interests and sovereignty, the newspaper adds.