Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed mediation efforts to ease regional tensions, aiming to improve Red Sea navigation and reduce economic losses, Egypt’s presidency said Tuesday.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on shipping since Israel's genocidal attacks on Palestinians in Gaza began in late 2023.
The attacks have disrupted global commerce and set the U.S. military off on a costly campaign to intercept missiles.
Trump said earlier on Tuesday that he had discussed with el-Sissi the progress made against the Houthis, as the White House continues its biggest military attacks against the Yemeni group under Trump's administration since March 15.
Trump said the strikes were a response to the group's attacks on Red Sea shipping, and he warned Iran, the Houthis' main backer, that it needed to immediately halt support for the group.
In messages mistakenly shared with a journalist at The Atlantic magazine in March disclosing U.S. war plans against the Houthis, one of the U.S. officials quoted in the chat relayed by The Atlantic said that Trump approved the Yemen plans but "we soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return.”
The Egyptian statement made no mention of the messages or Washington’s strikes against Houthis.
Egypt has been impacted by the Houthis’ attacks on the Red Sea area since November 2023, which forced vessels to avoid the nearby Suez Canal and reroute trade around Africa, raising shipping costs.
El-Sissi said in December that the disruption cost Egypt around $7 billion in less revenue from the Suez Canal in 2024.
While the Red Sea trade route normally carries around 12% of world shipping traffic, Houthi attacks have forced many companies into costly detours around southern Africa.
