Officials at the Iranian special interests office in Cairo have denied any knowledge about four Iranian parliamentary deputies that will reportedly travel to Egypt next Tuesday on their way to the besieged Gaza Strip. The story has been reported in Iran's official media. “We don't have any information regarding Iranian deputies visiting Gaza via Egypt,” said an Iranian diplomat in Cairo. “Therefore, we haven't lodged a request with Egyptian authorities to allow them to cross into Gaza.” The diplomat added: “This is the first time we've heard of the matter.” Official Iranian news agency MEHR reported that the four deputies--Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash, Aywaz Hayed Rabur, Barwiz Sarouri, and Shib Gawairi--intend to enter the Hamas-governed strip via the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border. According to MEHR, no additional details are currently available about the scheduled visit. In the beginning of June, the Iranian Red Crescent announced its intention to dispatch two aid ships to the Gaza Strip in an effort to break the longstanding Israeli blockade of the coastal enclave. The plan was postponed, however, after Egypt refused to grant the ships passage through the Suez Canal, according to the Red Crescent. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
