Egypt open to restoring diplomatic ties with Iran as stabilizing force
Iran and Egypt have had no diplomatic relations since 1980, but in recent years, efforts have been made to restore them. The head of the Iranian Interests Section in Cairo, Mojtaba Ferdowsipour, recently said that a decision to exchange ambassadors between the two countries had already been taken and was only awaiting an official announcement. He described his own appointment, with ambassadorial rank, as the representative of Iran’s Interests Section in Egypt as proof of this. He also noted that neither Egypt nor Iran was in a hurry to move forward. Ali Soltani-Fard, an expert on Egyptian affairs, told Iran Daily that Tehran had left the path of normalization to Cairo, so it can prepare the ground for the formal reopening of embassies, but he assessed the process as positive and moving ahead. According to him, Egypt views Iran as a friendly and stabilizing country capable of shifting regional security dynamics in its favor.
IRAN DAILY: How final and irreversible do you consider this process? What are the main factors behind the delay in officially announcing the decision?
SOLTANI-FARD: Relations between Iran and Egypt have seen many ups and downs since the victory of the Islamic Revolution (1979). In different administrations, steps were taken toward normalizing ties, but for various reasons specific to each period, these efforts did not lead to normalization or, in practical terms, the reopening of embassies. However, in recent years, given the evolving regional dynamics and developments, the relationship has undergone positive changes and has continued to move forward. The issue of reopening embassies has been on the table for the past two to three years and remains under discussion. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has repeatedly pointed out that Iran enjoys very good diplomatic relations with Egypt despite the absence of full embassy-level ties and that there is no rush. In fact, this path has been left to the Egyptians so that whenever the initial conditions are prepared on Cairo’s side, the reopening of embassies can also be carried out. Therefore, this is a forward-looking process, and the two countries are clearly pursuing numerous shared interests at both regional and global levels, with regional stability and security being the most important.
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