On July 3. 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood's rule in Egypt was toppled amid demonstrations by millions of Egyptians who came to the streets of Cairo to voice their dismay and request a change. Most of Iran's allies in the region celebrated the change except for Iran, despite that both Islamic governments in Cairo and Tehran had strained ties. Both former presidents of the two countries, Mohammed Morsi and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, visited the other country's capital, but neither was capable of coming back to his office with an appropriate memorial picture to add to the history album of both nations. Iranian media addressed the change in Egypt as a coup d'état, while officials in Tehran continue to equally criticize the new Egyptian leadership and the former one.

According to an Egyptian diplomat who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Cairo tried its best to explain to the Iranians that the Muslim Brotherhood was outside the equation and that those ruling the country today wanted real, solid and everlasting relations with Tehran: "We sent two delegations to Tehran; none was received by senior level officials, while another group of pro-Brotherhood personalities enjoyed a warm welcome and was received by high level officials, including Ali Akbar Velayati, Iran's supreme leader adviser,” the diplomat said. The pro-government Egyptian delegations visited Tehran in December, while the third delegation that’s said to be close to the Brotherhood arrived in Tehran in January.

The diplomat voiced concerns over the future of relations, saying, "New Egypt is an independent state, we want better relations with all countries without compromising our sovereignty; we regard Iran as a potential friend, still, they have to make the second step, but unfortunately they still see and listen to Egypt from both the Brotherhood's eyes and ears."