Iran and Egypt on the path to developing bilateral relations

On Monday, June 12, Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi traveled to Egypt and during this visit met and consulted with senior officials of the country, including Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Badr Abdel Ati, President and Foreign Minister of Egypt.

In a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, the Foreign Minister stated that Iran and Egypt are two major countries in the region and have a long history and a very deep-rooted civilization.

He stated: These two countries play an important role in achieving peace, security, development, and progress in the region, and both countries certainly have a common will in this regard; we have bilateral relations with Egypt today, and we are determined to develop these relations between the two countries.

Also, the Egyptian Foreign Minister said in this press conference, noting that everyone is seeking to develop relations with Iran: In Egypt's foreign policy, the issue of increasing tensions is dangerous; We are using our relations with Iran because there are dangers in the region that no country can deal with alone and there must be cooperation.

According to “Daily News Egypt,” Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with the Iranian foreign minister, marking a shift in relations between the two regional powers.

The meeting comes at a time when tensions have increased across the Middle East, including the conflict in Gaza.

According to an official statement from the Egyptian presidency, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.

The high-level meeting comes at a time when regional dynamics are rapidly changing.

The Cairo-Tehran talks may mark a rare start to diplomatic engagement between two influential countries in the region, driven by shared concerns about stability and a desire to prevent further escalation of tensions.

Egypt and Iran appear to be moving towards closer and improved ties; Officials from both countries have previously held consultations that could signal the beginning of a new chapter in Egyptian-Iranian relations.

Encouraged by the normalization of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, coupled with the emerging dynamics of de-escalation in the region, Cairo appears willing to reassess its relations with Tehran in the hope of restoring political and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

There has been a significant improvement in relations between Cairo and Tehran, and both sides appear to be actively seeking to repair and normalize their relations.

The issue of restoring relations between Iran and Egypt is not a new idea; similar efforts have been made over the past three decades, but without success.

However, there are currently two factors that distinguish these efforts: first, the level of efforts made, and second, the changing regional and global dynamics.

Due to the impact of regional and global dynamics, the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran has had positive effects across the region and created an appropriate atmosphere for reducing tensions that had not been seen in previous decades.

The emerging warming of relations is the result of contacts between Iran and Egypt in recent years.

Normalizing relations between Iran and Egypt on a regional scale will have a direct impact on the security of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

At this time, the Persian Gulf region needs less tension and more security and stability.

As Saudi Arabia pursues its Vision 2030 plan, it seeks to attract foreign investment and ensure long-term economic stability, while the UAE aims to ensure the security of maritime trade and the safe and free passage of ships in the surrounding waters.

For Iran and Egypt, normalization of relations means pragmatic cooperation in pursuit of bilateral and regional common interests.

For Egypt, economic considerations play an important role in shaping its policy towards Iran; Egypt seeks to increase sales of its goods in the Iranian market.

For Iran, improving relations with the Arab world is an opportunity to confront regional developments; moreover, by improving its relations with Egypt, Iran can provide ways to expand its economic and trade ties in the region, including through the use of the Suez Canal and increasing its exports to Egypt.