New Egypt continues to support Iran

(MNA) -- Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi’s recent criticism of Israel at the United Nations General Assembly should be analyzed from two perspectives.

The first is Morsi’s approach to Israel’s policies toward Egypt and the Middle East, and the second is what many analysts have called Morsi’s special emphasis on Iran and its influence in the region.

Since the very beginning of his rise to power, Morsi has used each and every opportunity to criticize Israel’s refusal to abide by the terms of the Camp David Accords, especially the clause calling for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 242, which calls for Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied in 1967.

Morsi has also repeatedly criticized Israel’s anti-Iran policies and has described Israel’s hostility toward Iran as one of the main factors behind the turbulent situation in the Middle East.

Morsi’s position on Iran, however, needs more clarification, especially given the sensitive situation of relations between the two major regional powers. Morsi is an Islamist, and of course he is expected to defend Iran against the Israeli threats. Although there are many differences between the Camp David Accords and the political orientation of the Islamist parties of Egypt, Morsi is compelled to respect the agreements, at least for the time being.

However, the general policies adopted by the new Islamic Egypt are mostly in line with Iran’s approach to regional issues. The Egyptian government has indicated that it wants to restore full diplomatic ties with Iran, and this has been repeatedly emphasized by Egyptian officials since the victory of their revolution.

The reopening of the diplomatic channel between Tehran and Cairo will prove that Egypt’s foreign policy will no longer be subservient to the United States and Israel and the popular demands for change in the system are being respected by the government.

However, the Egyptian government is facing great pressure, from both inside and outside of the country, with regard to Iran. Inside Egypt, the pro-Western forces and remnants of the former dictatorship are opposed to the restoration of diplomatic ties with Tehran. At the external level, some Arab states, especially members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, are continuing to provide the Egyptian government economic and political incentives in order to convince it to refrain from strengthening ties with Iran. Egypt also relies on a massive amount of U.S. economic assistance, and this is clearly another reason why the moves to fully restore diplomatic ties with Iran have been postponed.

Hossein Ruivaran is a Middle East expert based in Tehran.