Iranian Newspapers Criticize Their Country's Absence from Sharm El-Sheikh Conference as Tehran Defends

SadaNews - Iran asserted on Tuesday that it did not miss an opportunity on the diplomatic stage while justifying its absence from the Sharm El-Sheikh summit on Gaza, which took place in Egypt and was co-chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Many Iranian media outlets have criticized Tehran's decision to decline Egypt's invitation to participate in the summit held on Monday at the Sharm El-Sheikh resort.

On Tuesday, the reformist newspaper 'Shargh' stated that Iran's absence from this event demonstrates "negativity, a lack of initiative, and wasted opportunities" in terms of foreign policy, according to the French press agency.

In its part, the newspaper 'Ham Mihan' quoted a former diplomat saying that Tehran should have participated in the negotiations because "the issue of Palestine and the future of Gaza are linked to Iran".

In response to this stance, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei defended his country's decision on Tuesday, emphasizing that participation in such meetings "without precise calculations" could "harm the country's position".

He explained: "We were subjected to a lawless and criminal attack by the United States in June, and the Zionist regime also played a role in this act, with the green light and cooperation from the United States," according to the Tasnim news agency.

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

Baghaei stated on Tuesday: "It is natural that we do not participate in a meeting chaired by a party that boasts such criminal acts," referring to the United States.

Leaders from the United States, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar signed on Monday in Sharm El-Sheikh a document on a Gaza agreement mediated by Donald Trump for a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages and detainees between Israel and Hamas, reaffirming their commitment to a "peaceful future".