Iran steps up diplomacy with Egypt: Abbas Araghchi meets El-Sisi amid regional tensions
Any Iranian involvement in Egypt will be of concern to Israel.
Iran's foreign minister went to Egypt on Sunday for high-level talks. It is one of several recent outreaches to Egypt by Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with top Egyptian officials, including President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Iranian state media said.
This is important because Egypt borders Gaza and has historically played an important role in Gaza. However, Egypt didn't seem to warn about the October 7 attack, and Cairo has been impacted by this war. Pressure has built on Egypt over the last two years as the war drags on.
Iran likely wants to discuss this and other issues with Egypt. Egypt has peace with Israel. However, any Iranian involvement in Egypt will be of concern to Israel.
This comes as Iran appears to be heading towards the development of a possible nuclear weapon, and as Iran is in talks with the US about that program. The US is also trying to get a Gaza ceasefire.
'Araghchi met El-Sisi at his presidential palace on Monday morning, where they exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. Hours later, the top diplomat met and held talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty,' Iranian state media IRNA said.
Bilateral relations are on the agenda. There are other issues to discuss. 'This is Araghchi's third trip to Egypt since taking office in 2024. He also accompanied President Masoud Pezeshkian during the D-8 summit held in Egypt in December last year. Iran and Egypt are eyeing a new chapter in their bilateral relations, building on strenuous efforts made over the past two years,' the IRNA report said.
'Pezeshkian's primary agenda for his visit to Egypt, the first by an Iranian president since 2013, was aimed at fostering economic cooperation within Islamic nations, especially Egypt. Referring to the ongoing visit of Araghchi, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said that Iran and Egypt have held high-level meetings and consultations over the past one and a half years, with both sides showing determination to strengthen relations.'
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