The Arab League’s new Secretary General, Nabil Fahmy, used his inaugural address in Cairo to issue a stark warning to Iran and a pointed rebuke to Israel, signaling a more assertive tone from the pan-Arab body as regional crises deepen.

Fahmy, a veteran Egyptian diplomat and former foreign minister, called on Tehran to immediately cease what he described as ongoing attacks and destabilizing activities targeting Arab countries. He framed Iran’s actions as a direct challenge to the core principle of state sovereignty that underpins the Arab regional order.

“Respecting the sovereignty of Arab states remains a decisive principle that we do not accept any violation of,” he said, describing Iranian attacks on Middle Eastern countries as “the gravest threats” facing the region. He underscored collective security as a red line, declaring that any harm to one Arab state constitutes harm to all.

Fahmy’s remarks come amid renewed tensions involving Iran, Gulf Arab states, and the United States, with a fragile memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran under strain. Cross-border strikes, maritime incidents, and proxy confrontations have revived fears of a wider regional escalation.

The new Secretary General also turned his attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, revealing that Israel had refused permission for him to enter the occupied West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Despite the denial, he vowed to keep pressing for access.

“The issue will remain one of the priorities of the league, and one of my personal priorities,” Fahmy said, positioning the Palestinian question at the heart of his agenda and criticizing what Arab officials see as Israel’s efforts to limit Arab diplomatic engagement with Palestinian leadership.

Fahmy assumes leadership of the Arab League at a moment of overlapping crises: protracted wars in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Sudan, as well as chronic political fragmentation in several Arab states. The League, often criticized as slow and divided, has been scrambling to mediate cease-fires, broker political deals, and manage humanitarian fallout.

By coupling a firm stance on Iranian interference with a renewed push on Palestine, Fahmy signaled an attempt to reassert the Arab League as a central diplomatic actor, seeking to unify its members around shared security concerns and a common diplomatic front.