countries in the Persian Gulf and not meddle in Iraq and Lebanon, Egypt’s foreign minister told a Qatari newspaper Friday. It was a strongly worded statement, such as Egypt issues periodically about Iran.
The purpose appeared to be show support for the Arabs of the Persian Gulf who fear Iranian expansionism without actually committing Egypt to any course of action. “Iranian interventions in the internal affairs of the Gulf must not be allowed,” Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit told Ash- Sharq newspaper. “We say to our brothers in Iran,… Iraq must be left alone and Lebanon must be left alone. And Iran should not intrude in Bahrain in any way,” said Abul Gheit. “The security of Gulf countries comes first, and Egypt gives it much of its attention,” said the minister, trying to convince Arabs around the Persian Gulf that Egypt stands with them.. But while Abul Gheit used tough language in criticizing Iran for meddling, he ran away from any tough language with regard to Iran’s nuclear program. He simply called for a diplomatic solution. “Egypt is aware and knows that Iran has a problem with the Western world,” he said. “The settlement of Western-Iranian problems must be achieved via diplomatic and political means, away from military action and war.”
Oddly, he portrayed Iran’s presumed nuclear ambitions as purely a concern of the West and not of the Arab world, a point that most of the Arab leadership around the Persian Gulf would surely contest. In Tehran, there has as yet been no official response. But the state news agency quoted an unnamed Foreign Ministry source as saying, “We recommend that Abul Gheit pay more attention to unity within the Islamic world instead of pursuing the interests of the region’s illwishers who seek to divide the Islamic nations.” Tehran-Cairo ties have been severed since 1980 following the Islamic revolution in Iran and Egypt’s recognition of Israel. The two countries now maintain only interest sections in each other’s capitals
