Iran declines to attend Sharm El-Sheikh peace summit despite US invitation

An informed Iranian source confirmed that Iran will not participate in the upcoming Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit on Gaza, despite receiving an official invitation from the United States, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

According to the unnamed source, quoted by Iranian outlets, “Iran will not participate in the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit despite being officially invited to take part in its proceedings,” without providing further details on the reasons behind Tehran’s decision.

The US State Department extended invitations on Saturday to several countries to attend Monday’s high-level gathering in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating the release of hostages. The invite list reportedly included Spain, Japan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Hungary, India, El Salvador, Cyprus, Greece, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Canada.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said that Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty has been in intensive contact with his counterparts across Arab, Islamic, European, and Asian nations as part of preparations for the summit. Abdel Aty conveyed invitations from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and US President Donald Trump to participate in what Cairo has described as a “turning point” in efforts to end the two-year war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.

According to Axios, US officials confirmed that Iran was included among the invitees but that Israel will not attend.

The summit, co-chaired by President el-Sisi and President Trump, will bring together leaders from more than 20 countries. The Egyptian presidency said the gathering aims to consolidate international efforts toward a lasting ceasefire, promote regional stability, and advance peace in the Middle East in line with what it called President Trump’s vision for ending global conflicts.