Doaa El-Bey examines the obstacle in the way of the resumption of Egyptian-Iranian diplomatic ties Egyptian-Iranian relations returned to the spotlight when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters last week that Iran was looking forward to full diplomatic relations with Egypt. Given the influence, size and weight of both countries, it is a prospect that holds many possibilities. Though Egypt welcomed Ahmadinejad's remarks, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit said the matter would be discussed further when he meets his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki. Mohamed Abbas, from the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, does not view the Iranian president's statements as signifying any noticeable shift in Egyptian- Iranian relations, pointing out that Tehran has regularly called for diplomatic ties between the two states. There are several hurdles in the way of any resumption in diplomatic relations, with security concerns topping the list. Egypt has in the past accused Iran of harbouring extremists convicted of terrorist acts by Egyptian courts and demanded Tehran demonstrate its good will by extraditing wanted Egyptians. Given that "Cairo had already provided Tehran with the names and addresses of these convicts", says Abbas, it should not be difficult for the Iranians to act on Egypt's request. Tehran has also yet to forgive Egypt for giving asylum to Shah Mohamed Reza Pahlavi following the Iranian revolution, and Egyptian officials are unlikely to forget that Tehran's municipal authorities once named a street after Khaled El-Islamboli, one of the assassins of President Anwar El-Sadat. Though the street was renamed Intifada in 2004, there remain in Iran hardline groups that continue to view El-Islamboli as a hero. "The naming of the street was a major sticking point between the two nations. It does have a political dimension. Egypt could hardly encourage the honouring of a man who killed its president," points out Abbas. Tehran's growing regional influence is also worrying Egyptian officials, who complain of Iranian meddling in Iraq and the support it provides to Shia militias there. To such concerns must be added Iranian anger at Egyptian support for Iraq during its 1980-1988 war against Iran, as well as lingering resentment over Egypt signing the Camp David treaty with Israel. Nor is the US influence likely to be keen on the resumption of full diplomatic relations between Cairo and Tehran, which run counter to Washington's avowed aim of isolating Iran regionally. Ahmadinejad's call was made at the end of a tour that took him to the United Arab Emirates and Oman. He told reporters that Iran was ready to reopen its embassy in Egypt whenever the Egyptian government wanted. Any rapprochement in relations, he added, would serve the Muslim world. Tehran and Cairo's diplomatic courtship began in June 2000 with a telephone conversation between President Hosni Mubarak and his Iranian counterpart Mohamed Khatami. It was the first direct contact between the presidents of the two countries. Hopes for a resumption of relations were boosted after the widely publicised handshake between Mubarak and Khatami in December 2003 during a meeting on the sidelines of a UN summit in Geneva. Relations between the two countries were severed in 1980, a year after Egypt signed the Camp David peace accords. They worsened when Egypt supported Iraq in its 1980-1988 war against Iran, though trade ties have been steadily improving since the 1990s. Although Mubarak did not attend the Fourth Summit Meeting of the Eight Developing Countries (D8) held in Tehran in February 2004, it too was seen as an occasion for Egyptian and Iranian officials to reaffirm their commitment to rapprochement. The then foreign minister Ahmed Maher and his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi held talks on the fringes of the summit and agreed to work towards restoring full diplomatic relations. Maher also met President Khatami. Since then there have been no tangible steps in pursuit of the goal. Indeed, the possibility of progress has been impeded by a number of incidents. In 2004, Egypt decided to try an Iranian diplomat accused of spying, charges that Tehran dismissed as baseless. More recently, the Egyptian press accused Iran of being involved in the assassination of Ihab El-Sherif, head of Egypt's diplomatic mission in Baghdad, in the summer of 2005. That allegation, too, was denied.
