On Monday, the Iranian “Mehr” agency quoted Iranian guide Ali Khamenei as welcoming the return of relations with Egypt, as he said during his meeting with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said : “We have no problem in this respect.”
And Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry previously denied reports there was an Egyptian-Iranian lead, saying in televised statements in mid-May that ‘this news is just baseless speculation’. .
He explained, “Our relationship with Iran continues as it is, and when there is an interest in changing a certain approach, we certainly always resort to fulfilling that interest.”
On the other hand, current and former diplomats in Egypt and Iran talk about what they see as the “benefit” of restoring relations according to their views, and they presented some of them in their interview with “Sky News Arabia”.
“main obstacle”
The former assistant to the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ambassador Rakha Ahmed Hassan, expects “the return of Egyptian-Iranian relations to be closer than ever, after the removal of the main obstacle, which is the wing hard within the authority of Tehran which refused to restore the relations in spite of the efforts of the two parts”, he declared.
Regarding the changes expected in the event of a return to relations, Rakha adds: Increase trade and cooperation in the field of oil industry and build on joint Egyptian-Iranian economic projects since the era of the Shah, including Misr Iran Bank and Misr Iran Spinning and Weaving Company. The return of Iranian tourism. Cooperate on hot issues in the region and calm the situation, especially in the context of the return of Saudi-Iranian relations.
Difficulty coming back soon
For his part, the cultural adviser of the Tehran embassy in Cairo, Abd al-Ridha bin Ali, attributes the breakdown of relations since 1979 to what he describes as “futile reasons and enemy plots”.
Regarding the status of the two countries in the region, the Iranian cultural adviser referred to the possession of both an ancient ancient civilization and a great religious institution, Al-Azhar in Egypt and the Hawza in Iran, in addition to their geopolitical positions in the Middle East. .
Anticipating the difficulty of quickly restoring relations, Ben Ali says there are obstacles that can prevent a quick and easy improvement in relations, including what he described as plots and pressure from Israel and the United States. United, and the “extremists” in both countries who do not want relations to improve, as he put it.
The Iranian adviser lists what he sees as “gains” to the two countries from improved relations. He agrees with the same things Rakha mentioned regarding the return of tourism, trade and energy cooperation, in addition to bilateral coordination in resolving regional issues.
Ben Ali adds to this the exchange of scientific, religious and medical delegations, all aspects of cultural and social exchange, the transfer of manufacturing technology, agricultural exchange and cooperation to solve what he described as the problems of the Islamic world, “especially sectarian tensions”.
Fada Hussein Maliki, a member of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, had previously mentioned in press releases reported by the “Mehr” agency the existence of “negotiations” and the fact that the Iraq is the host country.
He went further, expecting to open the two countries’ embassies after a meeting that included the two countries’ presidents.
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