Egyptian crisis worrisome: Iran deputy foreign minister

Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs says the crisis in Egypt is worrisome, calling on Egyptian officials to exercise prudence to resolve the situation.

“We have already voiced our concern about any conflict that pushes Egypt toward violence,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Tuesday.

“The continuation of the massacre of the Egyptian people by any group is unacceptable,” the Iranian deputy foreign minister added.

The Iranian official called for Egyptian officials to prudently meet the demands of the Egyptian people in order to achieve national unity and consensus.

Egypt has been the scene of rival rallies and clashes between the supporters and opponents of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

Egypt’s Health Ministry and emergency services said on Monday that more than 50 people had been killed during the clashes between the army and Morsi’s supporters outside the Republican Guard barracks in the capital, Cairo.

On July 3, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the head of Egypt’s army, announced that President Morsi was no longer in office. Sisi also dissolved the Egyptian constitution.

The chief justice of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, Adli Mansour, was sworn in as interim president on July 4.

Morsi is reportedly being held “preventively” by the military. Senior army officials say he might face formal charges over accusations made by his opponents.

In addition, several arrest warrants have been issued for the members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Egyptian troops and security forces have recently expanded their roundup of top Brotherhood figures.