Egypt sets conditions for dialogue with Iran
Egypt's foreign minister has made a list of measures Iran must take before the two countries can discuss normalizing relations, but it's doubtful that he really expects Iran to meet them.
CAIRO — When Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took office in June 2014, he invited Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to attend the inauguration ceremony, which sparked talk about a possible restoration of relations between the two countries.
During a March 31 interview with the Saudi newspaper Okaz, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said resumption of relations must be tied to several factors. Mainly, he said, Iran needs to change its approach and policies regarding the situation in the region; demonstrate a desire to build relations based on mutual cooperation, respect and parity of interests; respect Arab states' independence and sovereignty; and practice non-interventionism.
Egyptian-Iranian relations have been tense for decades. Under Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, controversy and hostility marked the relations between the two countries, especially following the inception of the Baghdad Pact in 1954, which included Tehran and which Egypt considered unreliable.
Under President Anwar Sadat, relations took a new political turn following the blows the Egyptian military dealt to Israel in 1973. Egypt's rapprochement with the United States also produced a good relationship with the shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. This was especially true in terms of their seeking Arab unity and the liberation of Palestine, Arab solidarity and a peaceful solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, which resulted in the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in March 1979.
