Report: Egyptian President el-Sisi to meet with Iranian counterpart Raisi by the end of the year | Israel Hayom

The Emirati website The National reported on Tuesday, citing Egyptian officials, that Cairo and Tehran are expected to send ambassadors to the countries within months, as part of mediation efforts by the Sultanate of Oman.

Two sources told the website that a meeting had been agreed in principle between Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. According to the officials, the meeting will probably be held by the end of 2023.

The report comes as Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tareq recently paid a two-day visit to Egypt. Oman has close ties with Tehran. At the same time, the Iranian news agency Maher reported that "Cairo is ready to raise the level of its relations with Tehran following the visit of the Sultan of Oman to Egypt." According to the report, the renewal of relations was among the topics discussed in the meeting between the two leaders.

Egyptian President el-Sisi, photo: Reuters

In addition, senior Iranian officials have recently expressed their hope for improved relations with Egypt and the reopening of embassies. This was after Cairo announced the easing of visa conditions for Iran and other countries. On the other hand, the Egyptian government remained silent on the issue.

According to the sources who spoke to the Emirati website, normalizing relations with Iran will allow Egypt to improve economic relations with Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, countries in which Tehran holds a position of influence. According to the report, Egypt seeks to persuade Iran to stop supporting Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, or at least to reduce its support. On the other hand, there is concern that improving relations will actually enable Iran to increase its influence in the Gaza Strip and act against Israel in a new arena.

Relations between Iran and Egypt have mostly seen deterioration since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Cairo suspected that Iran was involved in the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. Egypt also supported Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the war against the Islamic Republic in the 80s. In contrast, Egypt and Iran have overlapping interests in Iraq, where Egyptian companies operate, and in the shipping lanes of the Middle East.

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