Iran urges Egypt to stop arresting Brotherhood members

Iran voiced concerns over the escalation of violence in Egypt and called for an end to the consecutive arrests against members of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab country, Tehran Times reported Wednesday. "We hope arrests and violence will stop," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchithe was quoted by the daily as saying. Early on Tuesday, Egypt's Brotherhood top leader Mohamed Badie was arrested. Youssef Talaat, a leading member of the Islamist group, was arrested along with him. "The Egyptian people are vigilant, and their leaders should be wise and prudent," he said. Araqchi added in the past few days, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif has contacted his counterparts in other countries on the Egyptian crisis. In a telephone conversation with Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu on Saturday, Zarif underlined the role that the organization can play in ending the violence in Egypt. Describing the situation in the Arab country as "critical," Zarif said that the OIC has to find a peaceful way to prevent further internal conflict and defuse the crisis in Egypt.