Iran’s FM Praises ‘Qualitative Leap’ in Ties with Egypt

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has lauded the progress in relations between Cairo and Tehran, describing the past year as a turning point in bilateral ties, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.

Speaking on the restoration of diplomatic relations, Araghchi said: “Our relations with Egypt have seen a qualitative leap over the past year. During this period, I met with the Egyptian president four times — more than I have met any other president, even from countries with which we have close ties. For example, I met Vladimir Putin only twice, and the same applies to other neighboring leaders. As for Egypt’s foreign minister, I believe I met him more than ten times last year, and our phone calls have far exceeded that number. Most of these contacts were about bilateral relations, though the Gaza and Palestine issue was also part of the discussions.”

Araghchi stressed that Egypt is an important and influential country in the Islamic world, adding: “We regularly consult with Egypt on issues related to Palestine, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, the nuclear file, and the recent aggression. We have made good progress in bilateral ties, overcoming longstanding obstacles that should have been resolved long ago. For example, street names were changed, and the other side took steps I won’t go into detail about, but the important thing is that there is a will to cooperate from both sides.”

He noted that relations have exceeded expectations but said neither side is in a rush to formally announce them. “This will happen when the time is right — likely in the coming months. If it weren’t for the war and recent developments, we might have reached that stage sooner. However, it’s not critical to speed up the process. The important thing is that we now have very good relations, like those between any two normal states.”