TEHRAN – U.S. President Donald arrived in Egypt on Monday night virtually on a victory lap to celebrate what he claims no one else has been able to accomplish: a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel that virtually no one believes Israel can be expected to abide by in the long term.
Trump sent invitations to several countries around the world before arriving in Sharm el-Sheikh, where he is scheduled to co-chair an international summit on the deal with Egyptian President Sisi. That included Iran, which the president likely wanted to attend but ultimately declined.
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi explained why he and his colleagues decided not to attend the event. “Iran is grateful to (Egypt’s Abdel Fattah) Sisi for the invitation to the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. Despite our support for diplomatic exchanges, neither (Iranian President Massoud) Pezeshkina nor I can engage with those who attack the Iranian people and continue to threaten and impose sanctions on us.”
On June 13, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression against Iran, sparking a 12-day war that left at least 1,064 people dead in the country, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.
The United States also entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities in a serious violation of international law.
In response, Iranian forces targeted strategic locations throughout the occupied territories, as well as Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in West Asia.
After the war, Washington successfully orchestrated a “snapback” of anti-Iranian UN sanctions. The move threw Iran’s currency markets into turmoil, further increasing inflation in a country already battling years of runaway inflation as a direct result of past sanctions.
“Nonetheless, Iran welcomes all efforts that end the genocide in Gaza and lead to the expulsion of the occupying forces,” Aragushi added in a post on X. “The Palestinian people have the full right to enjoy the right to self-determination, and now more than ever, all states have an obligation to help the Palestinian people achieve this legal and legitimate demand.”
Addressing Iran’s absence from the summit, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei stressed that the country’s regional role “is not measured simply by its attendance.”
“Iran’s regional influence is much greater than its participation in any single event. For the past two years, Iran has been one of the most active countries in pressuring the Zionist regime and its allies to end genocide,” he said, referring to Iran’s diplomatic engagement through the United Nations, OIC, and regional forums.
The Sharm al-Sheikh summit is aimed at formalizing the ceasefire and laying out steps for recovery and governance. The incident came after two years of U.S.-Israeli massacres in the Gaza Strip, which left some 70,000 people dead, many more injured and much of the territory in ruins.
In remarks to Israel’s parliament ahead of the ceremony, Trump made no mention of Israel’s bloodshed, only thanking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his “courage” during the war. He added that during the Gaza onslaught, Prime Minister Netanyahu constantly requested weapons, including weapons he had “never heard of.” At least 20,000 of the massacred in Gaza are children.
The president also spoke about the illegal U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. “Thanks to us, thanks to the courage and skill of the Israel Defense Forces and Operation Rising Lion, all enemies of civilization are in retreat,” he said. American leaders then insisted they were ready for a deal. “Iran, we are always ready. This is the best decision Iran has ever made and it will come true.”
To those who have been chronicling President Trump’s war in Gaza and his engagement with Iran, nothing Trump said in the Israeli parliament seemed convincing. President Trump was in the middle of negotiations with Iran when he attacked the country in June, but he has refused to force Israel to address Palestinian rights in a cease-fire deal he brokered.
“President Trump does not want an end to Israeli murders in Gaza, nor does he want a peaceful agreement with Iran,” wrote Farhiktegan, a leading Iranian daily published in Farsi. “He wants a show in the spotlight. Even in diplomacy, attention and admiration are his ultimate needs.”