TEHRAN — Iran dismissed on Tuesday suggestions that it had missed a diplomatic opportunity by refusing to attend a summit on Gaza at which US President Donald Trump took centre stage.

 

Iranian local media have in recent days criticised Iran's rejection of Egypt's invitation to attend the summit which took place Monday in the resort city of Sharm el Sheikh.

 

On Tuesday, the reformist Shargh newspaper said skipping the summit showed "passivity, a lack of initiative and a loss of opportunity in foreign policy".

 

Ham Mihan newspaper quoted former diplomat Fereidoun Majlesi as saying that Iran "should have participated" and taken part of the talks as "the question of Palestine and the future of Gaza are linked to Iran".

 

Iran backs Hamas, at war with Israel in Gaza since its October 7, 2023 attack.

 

It does not recognise Israel, and is also a foe of key Israeli backer the United States.

 

Iran said that it could not "engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People and continue to threaten and sanction us", in reference to the United States.

 

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei defended Iran's stance, saying taking part of gatherings as such "without precise calculations could harm the country's position."

 

"We suffered an illegal and criminal attack in June from the United States; the Zionist regime also played a role in this action, with the green light and cooperation of the United States," the Tasnim news agency quoted Baqaei as saying.

 

"It is natural that we cannot participate in a meeting chaired by a party that boasts of such a criminal act."

 

In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran which saw the US briefly joining by striking key Iranian nuclear facilities.

 

The 12-day war saw Israel striking nuclear and military facilities as well as residential areas and killing more than 1,000 people, according to Iranian authorities.

 

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks that killed retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel that killed dozens of people there.

 

A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on June 24.

 

At the summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Trump along with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey signed a declaration to cement a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

 

The document offered little details about the path ahead for peace between Israel and its neighbours, including the Palestinians.