On 21 June, foreign ministers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey convened in Cairo alongside Massad Boulos, the US senior advisor for Arab and African affairs, to endorse the 18 June US–Iran memorandum of understanding and set conditions for a final agreement. The gathering, described by Pakistani officials as a “restricted format” meeting, took place hours before US and Iranian delegations led by Vice President JD Vance and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf opened a new round of negotiations in Switzerland under a 60‑day ceasefire.

A joint statement issued after the Cairo consultations welcomed the MoU as a constructive step towards de‑escalation and underscored the urgency of swift progress toward a “durable, verifiable and mutually acceptable settlement”. The communiqué insisted that any framework must incorporate the security concerns of regional states, particularly in the Gulf and Levant, to strengthen collective security. President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi, who received the ministers earlier, separately stressed that a final deal must guarantee the security of Gulf Cooperation Council states and all Arab countries, respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, uphold freedom of navigation and commit to peaceful dispute resolution — language that Cairo has consistently advanced in previous diplomatic rounds.

Beyond the Iran file, the talks addressed Libya, where participants endorsed efforts to preserve unity and unify state institutions, and reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause to a lasting regional peace. Egyptian officials described the meetings as part of an intensified Cairo‑led diplomatic push, while Iranian state‑linked media portrayed them as a coordinated effort to consolidate the accord. The presence of a senior White House aide signaled Washington’s intention to leverage the momentum from the Iran dossier to revive dialogue on other frozen conflicts, a point echoed by Turkish officials who have long sought broader regional engagement.

The Cairo gathering also highlighted a division of labour: Pakistan, which alongside Qatar brokered the original MoU, retains a lead role in shepherding the technical negotiations, while Arab capitals seek to shape the political parameters. With talks in Switzerland now under way, the Cairo statement adds weight to demands that a final settlement not come at the expense of Arab allies. Further consultations among the four countries are expected, alongside diplomatic outreach to Tehran to formalise security guarantees.