Iran announced on Monday that it will not attend the Gaza peace summit in Egypt, despite having received an invitation from the host country.
State news agency IRNA reported that Egypt had extended the invitation on Sunday evening for the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Early Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on X that neither he nor President Masoud Pezeshkian would participate, citing the involvement of nations “who have attacked the Iranian people and continue to threaten and sanction us,” a reference to the United States.
Washington had briefly joined Israeli strikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day conflict in June.
Despite their absence, Iran expressed support for efforts “to end Israel’s genocide in Gaza” and to defend Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the US-backed Shah, Tehran has made backing the Palestinian cause a cornerstone of its foreign policy.
The Sharm el-Sheikh summit seeks to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza and outline a framework for post-war governance, though neither Israel nor Hamas will attend.
Leaders from more than 20 nations are expected to take part in the gathering.