Egypt fears escalation in Iran war would be more destructive, foreign minister says

MANAMA, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Saturday he was "extremely worried" that a new escalation in the war between the United States and Iran would be more destructive and have a major impact. He was speaking at the IISS Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain. "The second round will be more dangerous, more destructive, and it will lead to nowhere. We have to draw lessons from the past," he said.

An interim agreement reached in June failed to secure a lasting ceasefire in the Iran war or restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has since proposed that Washington lift its blockade of Iranian ports in exchange for Tehran reopening the disrupted waterway within seven days. Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday in a renewed effort to broker a deal, but the sides remain divided over whether nuclear negotiations or relief from the blockade and oil sanctions should come first. (Reporting by Timour Azhari; Writing by Tala Ramadan and Yasmine Ghania; Editing by Susan Fenton)