Egyptian foreign minister's India visit postponed after US strikes nuclear facilities in Iran
This is the second time this year that the Egyptian FM's visit to India has been postponed due to the geopolitical situation in West Asia.
A person familiar with the matter said the visit had been postponed without giving a reasons. But it comes hours after US launched its strikes. Egypt has not officially commented on the US action.
New Delhi: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty's two-day visit to New Delhi was postponed after the US conducted strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, entering Israel's war in the early hours of Sunday.
Abdelatty was set to travel to New Delhi Monday and depart for Egypt late Tuesday evening. He was expected to hold extensive discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, with defence production and exports trade in focus, ThePrint reported earlier.
A plan for joint defence production was set to be a part of Cairo's agenda for the meeting. The plan would build upon the already existing memorandum of understanding both countries signed in 2022 in defence cooperation following Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Egypt that year.
However, on Sunday, the situation in West Asia has witnessed a drastic escalation following US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. The US targeted the uranium enrichment site at Fordow with its 'bunker buster' ordnances, while also striking at Natanz and Isfahan.
US President Donald Trump said that the American military 'completely obliterated' the three sites—key to Iran's nuclear programme—and promised further attacks in the event Tehran decides to retaliate.
Tehran has submitted a letter to the United Nations Security Council, calling it an 'unlawful and reckless bombing' of its nuclear facilities. Tehran has said that Washington D.C. and Tel Aviv will be 'held fully accountable' for the strikes.
Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on 13 June, with an aim to strike at Iran's nuclear facilities and its key personnel. At least ten Iranian military generals have been killed since the operation began, while the facilities at Natanz and Isfahan have been heavily targeted. Iran launched its own Operation True Promise 3, on the evening of 13 June. Tehran has launched several ballistic missiles and loitering munitions at Israel over the last nine days.
In the immediate aftermath of the US attack, sirens were heard across Israel and Iran launched its latest round of missiles at the West Asian nation. Israel then said it had carried out its own strikes against military targets in Iran.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: UN secretary-general says US strikes on Iran 'threat' to international peace, security
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