TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday affirmed that Egypt is an important friend and partner in the region whose security is of utmost importance to the Islamic Republic, while calling on all parties to remain vigilant against Israeli plots and false-flag operations designed to undermine regional peace.
In a message posted on X, Araghchi responded to Western media reports attempting to link an unclaimed drone attack on Egypt’s Damietta Port to Iran.
“Egypt is an important friend and partner in the region, and its security is of utmost importance to us,” the foreign minister stated. 
“We must all be vigilant against Israeli plots and false-flag operations designed to undermine regional peace. The threat is clear, mutual, and fearful of Muslim solidarity.”
The remarks came after Egyptian authorities reported a drone strike on Wednesday that caused an explosion and fire involving two ships at Damietta Port on the Mediterranean coast, including a U.S.-linked gas-storage tanker. 
No country or group has claimed responsibility for the incident, and no casualties were reported.  
Egypt rejected media reports suggesting Iran’s role in the attack. Egypt’s Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan dismissed a Wall Street Journal report claiming that the Egyptian government believed Iran was responsible. 
Rashwan warned against rushing to conclusions or circulating unverified rumors on social media, particularly given the current regional situation.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said authorities have recovered the wreckage of the drone used in the attack on the gas vessel and are examining it to determine its origin. Madbouly stressed that

 Egypt’s conclusions would be based “on facts, not speculation.”
Certain Western outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, have sought to frame the unclaimed attack as part of a so-called “Iran war,” in what Tehran views as a transparent effort to fabricate pretexts and sow discord among regional nations.
Iran has consistently rejected any involvement in actions targeting friendly countries. It has a long record of exposing the Zionist regime’s history of false-flag operations aimed at fracturing Muslim unity and expanding its aggressive agenda.