Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has discussed rising tensions in the region with Egyptian officials in Cairo during the first such visit by a top Iranian official to the North African nation in around a decade.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday, Egypt's presidency said in a statement. The meeting focused on regional developments, with al-Sisi reiterating Egypt's call to avoid the expansion of conflict and the need to halt escalation to prevent a full-scale regional war.

Tensions are high in anticipation of the nature of an expected Israeli attack on Iran in retaliation for Iran's missile attack on Oct. 1. That followed a rapidly spiralling conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.