Informed sources expect Egypt to try and weaken Iran's sway in the region and especially in the countries bordering Egypt itself, such as Gaza and Sudan. These sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm there are two trends to deal with Iran at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One calls for an escalation against Iran, as this country is trying to marginalize Egypt's role (such as, most recently, its attempts to hamper Cairo's efforts in Gaza). According to this option, pressure must be put on Iran, no matter how. As for the second option, it consists in talking directly to Iran so that these two countries may put an end to their disputes and coordinate their positions. However, the sources affirmed that the first option has gained momentum following the recent events in Gaza. The tragic events seen in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli aggression have renewed tensions between Egypt and Tehran, as Iran called for the opening of the Rafah border crossing and criticized, like other countries, Egypt's role. Moreover, the Egyptian embassy in Tehran was attacked by Iranian demonstrators and all this warns that more tension between the two countries is likely to come. Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit continued to slam Iran, as he blamed it for hampering the Egyptian efforts to try and reach reconciliation in the Gaza Strip. "It's been proved that Iran was behind many of the recent events in Gaza" he said, adding that "Egypt has taken a firm position and it's the one in control now". Only two days after these declarations, an Egyptian official source said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was an agent for the Iranian regime. Mohamed Abdel Salam, an expert at al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said Iran has got too close to Egypt's national security. He said he did not think Egypt would just try to put an end to the current tension in Gaza, but might also think of giving "a tougher response" in order to affect Iran's sway in its main area, namely Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Abel Salam mentioned the two trends in Egypt to deal with Iran, adding that if the direct-dialogue trend prevailed, Egypt would be dealt a blow with no suitable reaction. He said that in crises you should react vigorously to the other party and let him think, feel he or she is wrong and go back to you. Abdel Salam then spoke of the impact that an escalation between Egypt and Iran could have on inter-Arab relations, especially given the strong ties between Tehran and some Arab countries. He said an alliance between Arab parties and Iran are work relations more than strategic ones, adding that countries like Syria, for instance, have clear determinants shaping their policies – even with Iran – and "work to achieve their interests only and not those of anyone else". Dr. Mohamed el-Said Abdel Mo'men, professor of Iranian studies at Ain Shams University, put on Iran the blame for the currently strained relations between the two countries. He said Cairo has the right to reply to Iran's movements against it on the backdrop of the events in Gaza. Abdel Mo'men is one of those who call for naturalizing relations and restoring cooperation between Egypt and Iran. However, he also admitted that it was Iran which started having this hostile attitude and attacking Egypt in many ways, something which has given Cairo the right to reply and use the means at its disposal. He had written that Iran was stretching out its hand to Egypt. However, he said that Iran does so only for its interests and not Egypt's and that although it seemed Tehran wanted to get closer to Egypt, the new circumstances have revealed its true intentions. He affirmed Tehran's behavior is clear evidence of that, as it allowed all Iranian factions to attack Egypt so much that reformists in Iran are criticizing their government's stance on Cairo and describing it as unreasonable. He finally affirmed that Iran would regret attacking Egypt so hastily and would unequivocally realize that there was no need to adopt such a hostile attitude. Ambassador Mahmoud Farag, former chargé d'affaires at the Egyptian Embassy in Tehran, disagreed, saying Iran is an important country in the region and is ready to reach a mutual understanding. He also said Tehran hopes there may be an axis between Egypt and Iran in the region, as this would strengthen its interests not only in the Middle East but also with the EU and Europe. Farag said Iran has been trying to do so for a long time. He also affirmed that Iran is a big state and must try to go beyond its borders to strengthen itself and serve its interests, otherwise it would "commit suicide". He went on to say: "The dialogue is the best way to deal with Iran, especially as it wishes so. However, it must be a transparent dialogue in which interests do not clash with each other, each party recognizes the other's role, and security obsessions are left aside. "Iran has a stake in all issues in the region, from Gaza to Lebanon, from the Gulf to Iraq and if it invested in its role correctly, this would have positive effects on the region."
