Iran announced today that its President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will not attend the Gaza-focused summit to be held in Egypt, despite confirming receipt of an invitation from the host country.

Iran had stated it received an official invitation from Egypt yesterday evening to attend the summit scheduled in Sharm El-Sheikh regarding Gaza, according to the official IRNA news agency.

However, early today, Araghchi posted on the X platform: “Neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who attacked the Iranian people, continue to threaten us, and impose sanctions on us,” referring to the United States.

Washington participated in the attacks launched by Israel against Iran targeting nuclear sites during the 12-day war in June.

Araghchi affirmed that Tehran nevertheless supports any initiative “to end the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza” and defends the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

Egypt is hosting today in Sharm El-Sheikh a peace summit for Gaza chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump, with leaders from more than twenty countries and UN Secretary-General António Guterres participating.

The Egyptian presidency announced that the summit aims to “end the war in the Gaza Strip and enhance efforts to establish peace and stability in the Middle East region.”