Iran rejects talks at Sharm el-Sheikh, backs Gaza ceasefire efforts
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Iran declines engagement at Sharm El-Sheikh Summit, citing hostility from some states, while reaffirming support for Gaza ceasefire and Palestinian rights.
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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on July 7 2025. (AP)
Iranian diplomat Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced on Sunday that President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iranian officials will not engage with counterparts at the upcoming Sharm El-Sheikh Summit, citing the continued hostility, sanctions, and threats against the Iranian people by some attending governments.
In a statement shared on his official account, Araghchi expressed gratitude for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s invitation to the regional summit but made clear Iran's position.
“While favoring diplomatic engagement, neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People and continue to threaten and sanction us,” he said.
Iran welcomes any initiative to end "genocide in Gaza"
Araghchi reiterated Iran’s support for ending the Israeli aggression on Gaza, referring to the ongoing war as a "genocide."
“Iran welcomes any initiative that ends ‘Israel’s’ genocide in Gaza and ensures the expulsion of occupation forces,” he said, underlining Tehran’s consistent stance in support of Palestinian self-determination.
He called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral obligations toward the Palestinian cause.
“Palestinians are fully entitled to secure their fundamental right of self-determination, and all States remain obliged, more than ever, to assist them in their lawful and legitimate cause.”
Iran is grateful for President El-Sisi's invitation to attend the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit. While favoring diplomatic engagement, neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People and continue to threaten and sanction us.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) October 12, 2025
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Iran emphasizes vision for peace, not perpetual conflict
Rejecting narratives that paint Iran as a destabilizing force, Araghchi described his country as a long-standing advocate for regional peace and cooperation.
“Iran has always been, and will always remain, a vital force for peace in the region,” he said.
“Contrary to the genocidal Israeli regime, Iran is not after Forever Wars — particularly on the dime of its purported allies — but seeks Forever Peace, Prosperity, and Cooperation.”
Baghaei reaffirms support for ending genocide
Spokesperson Seyed Esmail Baghaei Qomi, speaking to IRNA on Sunday expressed no plan to participate in the meeting.
Baghaei reiterated Iran’s longstanding position in support of any initiative that brings an end to what he described as the genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation against the people of Gaza.
“Iran has already declared its support for every step that contributes to halting the genocide in Gaza, alleviating the suffering of the oppressed Palestinian people, ending the occupation, and ensuring the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip.”
He also praised the resilience of the Palestinian people, describing their sacrifices in the face of Israeli war crimes as "legendary."
The Iranian spokesperson emphasized that determining the fate of Palestine is an exclusive right of the Palestinian people and their legitimate representatives.
“Self-determination in Palestine is a right that belongs solely to the Palestinian people and their true representatives,” he stated.
Warning against trust in “Israel’s” history of violations
Baghaei warned regional and international actors not to place trust in “Israel’s” long history of treaty violations and brutality.
“We hope regional countries and the international community learn from the Israeli regime’s history—filled with broken agreements and war crimes—and avoid allowing such violations to be repeated.”
Iran expressed gratitude to Egypt for extending the invitation and stressed the importance of Islamic and regional solidarity in supporting Palestinian rights.
“We thank the Egyptian government for its invitation and emphasize the importance of solidarity and unity within the Islamic world and among regional countries,” Baghaei Qomi said.
He concluded by underscoring the necessity of a unified stance to secure Palestinian self-determination and confront the threats posed by the occupation regime’s expansionist and militaristic policies.
