Egypt and Iran forge unlikely alliance in changing political landscape
The surprise friendship is placing the two powerhouses in a position to stymie Israel's pursuit of domination in an increasingly violent region, sources have told The National.
It's an unlikely partnership on many levels. Until recently, Egypt had routinely condemned what it viewed as Iran's meddling in the affairs of its Arab neighbours, as well as its support for proxies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, Shiite militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen, which Cairo sees as dangerous.
The two countries have emerged from decades of fraught relations and, at times, outright enmity that date back to the 1979 Islamic revolution and the refuge Cairo afforded the Shah of Iran when he fled.
The alliance has transcended the religious persuasion of the two nations, with Iran being the world's largest Shiite nation, and a history of evangelistic activity in the region. In contrast, Egypt is predominantly Sunni and home to the 1,000-year-old Al Azhar Mosque, the world's foremost seat of Islamic learning.
The association is also fraught with peril. Egypt is a close ally of the US, Iran's nemesis, receiving billions of dollars in economic and military aid from Washington over the past 50 years that it can ill afford to lose. It also has a US-sponsored 1979 peace treaty with Israel, which regards the clergy-led regime in Tehran as an existential threat.
The dangers are more foreboding considering that the Cairo-Tehran alliance comes at a time when Egypt's relations with Israel are at their lowest ebb in decades over the Gaza war, with officials in both countries occasionally adopting sabre-rattling rhetoric. Cairo's relations with Washington have also been tense in recent months, again over Gaza.
The regional sources said a significant component of the Cairo-Tehran alliance is Egypt's wish to stop what it sees as Israel's bid to dominate the region through its military might and the virtually unconditional support it receives from the US.
Diplomacy to bridge gap
Egypt's opposition to Israel's perceived goal is a matter of public record in a country that has, in recent days, taken to calling its war in Gaza genocidal.
'It's not acceptable to allow any single party to dominate the region or to engineer what is called the restructuring of the region,' said Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
'We are quite capable of imposing our view within the regional and Arab frameworks and will not allow any single party to impose its will on the area,' he said in a thinly veiled reference to Israel.
It is towards this end that Egypt had sought to use diplomacy to bridge the gap between Iran and the US during weeks of fruitless negotiations that preceded the Israel-Iran war in June.
During those Oman-mediated negotiations, Mr Abdelatty frequently spoke on the telephone to his Iranian and Omani counterparts, as well as the US chief negotiator, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Official Egyptian statements at the time spoke of Egypt's efforts to defuse the tension and spare the region a destructive conflict.
Separately, Egypt has been engaged in intense talks with the Iranians and Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA – the UN's nuclear oversight agency – since the end of the 12-day war with Israel, the sources said.
Those contacts, they said, were designed to promote a peaceful settlement of the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme and to find a mechanism to rid the Middle East of nuclear weapons.
Mr Abdelatty has also frequently cited Israel's refusal to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a major contribution to tension in the region, while emphasising the freedom of every nation in the area to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Newly minted alliance
Mr Abdelatty has held talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, in person or by phone, at least a dozen times this summer, an unusually large number over a relatively short time given the rapprochement between the two nations is so recent.
'Egypt wants Iran to stay strong and united as a deterrent to Israel's expansionist designs,' said one of the sources. 'It does not want it to be subjected again to strikes by Israel and the US that could cause the country to come unhinged.'
During a visit to Egypt in June, Mr Araghchi visited Cairo's medieval district and joined three former Egyptian foreign ministers for dinner at a restaurant in the Khan El Khalili bazaar, activities rarely allowed by Egyptian authorities and tolerated only when hosting a special guest.
'We constantly consult with Egypt and we have a wish for these consultations to continue,' Mr Araghchi said. 'Relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Egypt are close and are founded on mutual respect.'
Egypt's objectives in this newly minted alliance reach beyond the nuclear file, said the sources.
The most populous Arab nation with 107 million people, Egypt is looking to the day when a sanctions-free Iran would potentially be a reliable source of oil and gas to meet the needs of its rapidly growing population, the sources added.
Egypt is also eyeing the large Iranian market for at least two million pilgrims annually to visit religious sites housing the tombs of members of the Prophet Mohammed's family, along with those of revered saints, they said.
Farther afield, Egypt is also looking to Iran to continue to counter Israel's growing influence in Africa, parts of which are seen by Cairo as an extension of its national security sphere, they added.
Militarily, Egypt stands to benefit from Iran's drone technology, a field in which Iran has excelled to a degree that has reportedly allowed it to supply the weapons to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, according to the sources.
But despite the potential benefits Egypt hopes to gain from its close relations with Iran, it has to tread carefully.
One concern is that Egypt must ensure relations with Iran bring about improved ties between Tehran and its Arab neighbours in the Gulf.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Dubai Eye
an hour ago
- Dubai Eye
Arab League condemns Netanyahu's 'Greater Israel' statements
The Arab League has strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements on the annexation of parts of the territories of sovereign Arab states, in preparation for the establishment of what he called "Greater Israel." The League considered these statements to be a violation of the sovereignty of Arab states and an attempt to undermine security and stability in the region. In a statement, the League announced that these remarks represent a serious threat to collective Arab national security and a evident challenge to international law and the principles of international legitimacy, all of which cannot be accepted or tolerated by the council. Within the same context, Egypt has condemned the statements raised in some Israeli media regarding the so-called "Greater Israel," while affirming its commitment to establishing peace in the Middle East. In a statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt demanded official clarifications regarding these statements due to the indications they carry and that could trigger instability.
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Syria aid workers abducted en route to Sweida
Five aid workers have been abducted in Syria while delivering supplies to the besieged province of Sweida this week, in what their colleagues told The National was an alarming development. On Monday, seven of eight vehicles carrying privately donated aid from the Damascus suburb of Jaramana were ambushed and looted by unknown assailants. The attack prevented critical supplies from reaching Sweida, where residents face severe shortages of food, electricity and water. 'One of the eight cars in the convoy was able to escape after a large number of people on motorbikes surrounded them,' an aid worker in Jaramana who was co-ordinating with the convoy told The National. 'Out of the eight vehicles, only one reached Sweida. The rest were looted and sent back.' Three workers from Sweida who were also co-ordinating with the convoy confirmed the information. Residents of Sweida say the besieged province is in a state of disaster following last month's clashes between armed tribesmen, supported by government forces, and Druze fighters. A ceasefire and government-imposed lockdown declared on July 19 have left Sweida reliant on sporadic aid deliveries. Sweida residents say that some pro-government tribal fighters, many of whom withdrew from the province following the ceasefire, remain stationed along key roads into the province, hindering the entry of goods. Another aid volunteer said the convoy, had it arrived in the province, would have helped 'around 2,000 to 4,000 households. There were also 250 doses of cancer medications, other medications, baby formula and diapers'. All aid volunteers interviewed by The National spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation and aid access restrictions. With about 192,000 people internally displaced in the province since the July clashes and relief trickling through the single crossing, private donors and international aid groups have mobilised to deliver convoys, which must be co-ordinated with Syrian authorities. 'They'd been sharing their live GPS location with us,' one of the relief volunteers in Sweida said of the missing aid workers. 'After a while we realised they had stopped moving.' There was gunfire. The cars were looted. And the men are still being held Aid worker in Sweida One abducted man, Aabed Abu Fakhr, managed to call a colleague, while another phoned his wife. 'From the calls it was clear they were being watched, but they reassured us they were all right,' the Jaramana-based volunteer who was speaking to Mr Fakhr said. But the men have not been heard from since Tuesday despite efforts to secure their release. The Jaramana City Endowment Committee, which organised Monday's convoy, said it had obtained government approval for the delivery. The abducted men were identified as Samir Barakat, Aabed Abu Fakhr, Yamen Al Sahnawi, Radwan Al Sahnawi and Fidaa Azzam. The four aid workers familiar with the case said a Syrian General Security official – who had co-ordinated previous aid deliveries on behalf of the endowment – is now mediating between the kidnappers and the families. 'At first they talked about a prisoner exchange,' said the Jaramana aid worker. 'But when we asked for names, they didn't send any. We haven't heard from the men since Tuesday. We don't know if they're OK.' He warned the abductions were an 'alarming precedent'. 'These are aid workers. Kidnapping people delivering humanitarian relief will affect the entire province,' he said. The only route into Sweida has seen repeated attacks in recent weeks. Last Friday, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent reported that a convoy was 'directly targeted by gunfire', damaging several vehicles. A Red Crescent volunteer in Sweida said armed men blocked the road and fired on the first three lorries. 'Problems on the road are common,' he said. 'And the aid entering Sweida is so little compared to the need on the ground.' The Syrian government denies it is imposing a siege. But the province remains inaccessible except through a single humanitarian crossing, which requires prior co-ordination with authorities for entry and exit. Bread is rationed, supermarket shelves are bare and residents of rural towns survive on harvests from their orchards, sending what they can to the city. The fuel shortage has rendered water pumping stations inoperable, reducing supply to critical levels, according to the UN, and damage to infrastructure has further disrupted electricity, internet and telecoms. And journalists are barred from entering the province, hindering independent verification and the spread of news from inside. A spokesman for the Red Crescent called on armed groups to 'refrain from targeting humanitarian efforts and to facilitate aid access to the affected families in the southern region'. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says more than 1,600 people have been killed since the sectarian violence erupted on July 13 – including 429 summary executions by government forces.
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Arab countries condemn Netanyahu's 'Greater Israel' comment
Iraq has joined a growing list of Arab countries condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments voicing support for a "Greater Israel" in an i24NEWS interview on Tuesday. The Iraqi foreign ministry said the comments revealed Israel's "expansionist ambitions" and were "a clear provocation to the sovereignty of countries". Other countries to condemn the statement include Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt. Saudi Arabia expressed on Wednesday "its total rejection of the ideas and plans for colonisation and expansion adopted by the Israeli occupation authorities", and Egypt called the comments a "rejection of the option of peace in the region". On Tuesday, in an interview with journalist Sharon Gal, Netanyahu said he felt "very" connected to the prospect of a "Greater Israel".
