Iran’s Khamenei hails thaw with Egypt, Saudi Arabia during Omani sultan visit
The potential rapprochement falls within Tehran's hard-liners' recent push on the reset button in Iran's ties with Arab rivals to reposition itself in the regional power play, avert economic collapse and fight off international isolation.
TEHRAN — Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei welcomed on Monday a potential reopening of diplomatic ties with Egypt, and an ongoing rapprochement with Saudi Arabia. He credited hard-liner President Ebrahim Raisi for such regional improvements.
Ties with Egypt have remained cut off for the larger part of the past four decades following the inception of the Islamic Republic in 1979. But recent mediation by Oman, whose leader is visiting Tehran after Cairo last week, could see normalization between the two capitals.
"We have no issues in this regard," Khamenei said on Monday at a meeting in Tehran with visiting Omani leader Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.
According to Khamenei's website, he made the comment after the Omani sultan "relayed Egypt's willingness for the resumption of ties with the Islamic Republic."
