Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has urged an immediate ceasefire in the conflict between Iran and Israel during two separate phone calls with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

Abdelatty stressed during the phone calls the importance of a return to negotiations as the only way to reach a sustainable agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.

In Iran, at least 224 people have been killed since hostilities began on Friday. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed.