Iran aims to rekindle diplomatic ties with Egypt after 40-year rift

After more than 40 years of strained relations, Iran is hopeful for a resumption of diplomatic ties with its political rival, Egypt.

“Talks have been promising thus far, and both countries are on a good path to overcome their differences and to soon open a new diplomatic chapter,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday, the Tasnim news agency reported in Tehran.

The re-establishment of relations would benefit not only the two nations, but also the Islamic world, and in particular Palestinians amid the current Gaza Strip conflict, Kanaani said.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi met for the first time in November on the sidelines of an Islamic summit in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

According to Iranian media reports, the two presidents agreed on an action plan to resolve past differences and facilitate a warming of relations.

The two spoke by phone last week to discuss the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the plan of action, the Iranian presidential office reported.

Relations between Tehran and Cairo have been tense over the past four decades.

Cairo has supported Sunni Arab nations which are often in competition with Shiite-dominated Iran.

Egypt has also concluded a peace agreement with Israel, which Iran sees as its arch-enemy.

The last shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was exiled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, died in Egypt the following year and is buried in Cairo.

While the two countries have kept diplomatic channels open in recent years, they have not exchanged ambassadors.