Trump, El-Sisi discuss Middle East stability, Red Sea security
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he held a phone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to discuss Middle East developments, including military actions against Yemen's Houthi group and efforts to resolve the crisis in Gaza.
Trump described the conversation on his Truth Social account as having gone "very well," underscoring the significance of the issues discussed.
Egypt's presidency said in a statement that the two leaders focused on mediation efforts aimed at restoring regional stability, with a particular emphasis on securing Red Sea shipping routes and mitigating economic losses.
The call came amid growing strains in US-Egypt relations following the indefinite postponement of El-Sisi's planned visit to Washington, D.C., on February 18, 2025.
The trip was called off as tensions escalated over Gaza, with Egypt strongly opposing a US-backed plan that it viewed as undermining Palestinian rights and regional stability.
Cairo has pushed for a reconstruction approach that safeguards Palestinian sovereignty, while Washington has advocated alternative measures that have drawn criticism from Arab nations.
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In a May 24, 2025 post on X, Al-Harmi wrote: "Had the Afghans agreed to solutions of submission during the invasion of their country by two of the strongest countries – the U.S.S.R. in 1979 and the U.S. in 2002 [sic[4]] – and had they said 'We have no strength against these two countries, we are a poor country, and if we are in a position of inferiority, we have no weapons and the world is set against us,' they would not today have a state that is respected by all those who invaded them previously. "The Afghans opposed [the invaders] with their force and might, defeating Russia and then the U.S. and the West all together. Although the invaders used the most criminal weapons, including weapons banned by international conventions, the Afghans did not surrender, despite all the victims. 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