Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Supports Restoration of Diplomatic Relations between Iran and Egypt

Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Wikimedia Commons/Khademei.ir)

JAKARTA - Iran's supreme leader has given his approval for a full restoration of diplomatic relations with Egypt, which could potentially end decades of tension between the two regional powerhouses.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he would "welcome" a rapprochement between Egypt during a meeting with the visiting Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, whose country is credited with mediating between Cairo and Tehran.

Earlier, Sultan Haitham visited Egypt this month and met President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for talks that included normalizing relations between Egypt and Iran, according to officials. His visits to Egypt and Iran are his first since he ascended the throne of the Gulf Arab country in 2020.

"We welcome this issue and have no problem in this regard," Khamenei said of rapprochement, according to Iranian state television, reported The National News May 29.

It is known that Iran's Supreme Leader has the final say on major foreign policy decisions, which adds weight to his comments about relations with Egypt.

Earlier, Egyptian officials said Cairo and Tehran were expected to exchange ambassadors before the end of 2023. Meanwhile, President El Sisi and his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, will meet later this year.

Meanwhile, mid-level diplomats and intelligence officials from Iran and Egypt held advance talks behind closed doors in Baghdad in March and April, to discuss normalizing relations.

More senior officials from the two countries are expected to meet again next month in the Iraqi capital, according to the officials, with further talks expected to be held in Oman.

It is known that relations between Egypt and Iran began to deteriorate after the 1979 Islamic revolution, when the late Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat welcomed the deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and allowed his funeral in Cairo a year later.