Al-Sisi urges comprehensive deal to end Iran crisis in talks with CIA chief

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi called for a comprehensive agreement to end the crisis involving Iran, restore regional stability and safeguard freedom of international navigation during talks with CIA Director John Ratcliffe that also covered Gaza, Sudan, Somalia and security cooperation between Cairo and Washington. Al-Sisi received Ratcliffe in the presence of Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS) chief Hassan Rashad, with the talks focusing on strategic ties between Egypt and the United States and coordination over regional security challenges, according to the Egyptian presidency. Ratcliffe conveyed greetings from US President Donald Trump and said the US administration was keen to maintain close coordination with Egypt to strengthen security and stability in the Middle East, the presidency said.

Al-Sisi expressed Egypt’s full support for efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement ending the crisis involving Iran and stressed Cairo’s support for the security and sovereignty of Arab states, as well as its rejection of attacks against them. Regional crises should be addressed through political and diplomatic channels and by tackling their underlying causes, Al-Sisi said, while preserving state institutions, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The talks also covered cooperation between the CIA and Egypt’s General Intelligence Service in intelligence and security, counterterrorism, organised crime and transnational crime, as well as the exchange of assessments and information on regional developments. On Gaza, Al-Sisi called for the full implementation of the second phase of Trump’s plan aimed at consolidating the ceasefire, praising mediation efforts that he said had produced a roadmap for implementing the next phase. He reiterated Egypt’s calls for…