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Egypt Woos Iran To Resolve Syria Crisis

A regional approach to stopping the violence in Syria is needed, writes Mohammad Ali Shabani. Egyptian President Morsi seeks to bring together Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia to devise a political solution. But Iran's receptiveness to this effort should not be seen as reflecting a softening on Syria.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr (L) speaks to Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi during a news conference after a meeting regarding the Syrian crisis, in Cairo September 17, 2012. Saudi Arabia stayed away from a meeting on the Syria crisis convened by regional powers on Monday, setting back a forum grouping Iran - President Bashar al-Assad's main Middle East ally - and his leading opponents in the region. The "contact group" of Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia arose from an initiative

With parts of Aleppo’s ancient heart literally going up in flames and the world’s major powers seemingly paralyzed, it is becoming painfully clear that new approaches are needed to try to stop the violence in Syria.

Regional stakeholders are taking the initiative and moving toward balancing their interests. Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is the latest to enter the field and seeks to bring together Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia to devise a political solution to the conflict.

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