Iran will not attend Gaza peace summit, foreign minister says

Iran said Monday that neither its President Masoud Pezeshkian nor foreign minister Abbas Araghchi will attend the Gaza summit in Egypt after confirming an invitation from the host country.

State news agency Irna reported that Egypt had invited Iran on Sunday evening to take part in Monday's summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

But early Monday, Araghchi posted on X: "Neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People and continue to threaten and sanction us," in reference to the United States.

The minister said Tehran nonetheless supported any initiative "to end Israel's genocide in Gaza" and to defend Palestinians' right to self-determination.