Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, for the first time on the sidelines of the summit held to discuss Gaza's reconstruction in Cairo on Tuesday.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, greets Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa as Egypt hosts emergency Arab summit to discuss Palestinian developments, at Egypt's New Administrative Capital in Cairo, March 4, 2025. Egyptian Presidency
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, for the first time on the sidelines of the summit held to discuss Gaza's reconstruction in Cairo on Tuesday.
Sharaa, an Islamist who was once an affiliate of al Qaeda, has been trying to gain support from Arab and Western leaders since he led a rebel offensive that toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Sisi has cracked down on Islamists in the most populous Arab state, which has wide influence in the Middle East and is a close ally of the United States.
Unlike its Gulf allies, Cairo has been more cautious in its response to the new rulers in Syria, whom state-affiliated media have criticized.
The Syrian state news agency said Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani also attended the meeting, but did not give further details on the agenda.
The Egyptian presidency said in a later statement that Sisi urged launching a comprehensive political process that includes all Syrians without excluding any parties during the meeting with Sharaa.
Sisi also expressed Egypt's keenness on the unity and safety of Syrian lands, reiterating its rejection to any "assault" on Syrian territory.
Reporting by Jaidaa Taha and Muhammad Al Gebaly
U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran threatened to escalate their war, targeting energy and fuel facilities in the Gulf, which could again roil global energy and financial markets and deepen a regional crisis.
Saudi Arabia ordered an Iranian diplomat and three members of his team to leave the country Saturday, as the Kingdom continues to absorb Iranian missile strikes launched in retaliation for the US-Israeli military campaign against Tehran.
Around 59 people were wounded - most lightly - by Iranian missile strikes on Dimona in southern Israel, according to Israeli emergency services Magen David Adom, as reported by multiple Israeli media outlets.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.