The Middle East tour of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shows Tehran's interest in strengthening ties with key Arab countries, writes the newspaper “Al Ahram”, quoted by BTA.
In Cairo, he confirmed his country's commitment to developing political and economic ties. According to sources familiar with the talks, Egypt could act as a mediator to reduce differences between Iran and the West while strengthening regional security.
The Egyptian invitation to Iran's top diplomat also sends a signal to external powers that Cairo is affirming its independent foreign policy, which prioritizes stability in the region over the coordination of hard-line positions.
“Egypt is working to create a balance of power in the region and avoid any confrontation that could lead to war,“ believes General Mohamed Abdel Wahid. He added that Cairo remains cautious, refraining for now from full normalization of diplomatic relations, but is open to broad coordination on regional issues - from the war in the Gaza Strip to maritime security in the Red Sea.
The North African country, which is suffering serious economic losses due to attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, which led to a drop in traffic through the Suez Canal, expects Tehran to put pressure on its allies in Yemen to de-escalate tensions.
The Iranian foreign minister also informed the Egyptian leadership about indirect negotiations with the United States, which are currently being conducted with the mediation of Oman.
Tehran sees Egypt as a key power in both the Arab and Islamic worlds, Iranian analyst Saeed Shavardi told “Al Ahram”. "There is now a clear desire on both sides to overcome past divisions and work together on pressing challenges in the region, including the Palestinian issue," he added.
"Araghchi's visit to Cairo - cordial, symbolic and politically significant - seems to confirm that normalization between Egypt and Iran is no longer a speculative possibility but a short-term reality," the newspaper concluded.
The Iranian foreign minister's visit to Cairo is a landmark step after decades of political estrangement, Abdellatif al-Manawi wrote for Al Masry al-Youm. The visit, which included talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and key Egyptian officials, signaled a serious intention to explore possibilities for restoring ties amid complex regional challenges such as the Gaza crisis, Iran-US nuclear talks and security threats in the Red Sea. From Egypt's perspective, recognizing Iran as a key regional player is necessary, while maintaining an independent and balanced foreign policy, the analyst said.
Iran, for its part, views Egypt as a gateway to the Arab world and a vital diplomatic partner. The visit coincided with the presence of the Director General of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, in Cairo, which has sparked speculation about Egypt's potential mediating role in the nuclear talks.
The discussions also focused on security in the Red Sea and the protection of vital maritime trade routes, which seems like a pragmatic start to a new stage in bilateral relations, Al-Manawi said.
The recent developments in the Middle East are not at all in Iran's favor and have deprived it of some of its most valuable cards, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat” points out Ghassan Charbel in a commentary article in the Saudi edition.
“Syria is no longer a base for Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers as part of the plan that Qassem Soleimani has been developing for years, especially after successfully convincing Vladimir Putin's Russia to save the Assad regime from collapse. Syria no longer hosts the headquarters of Palestinian “resistance” organizations and does not offer their leaders safe havens. These groups are no longer welcome in Syria, and the Lebanese “Hezbollah” is now perceived as an enemy,” writes Charbel.
He adds that Lebanon has also changed and the appointment of presidents is no longer in the hands of the commanders of the Shiite group “Hezbollah”, and the current president was elected after promising to achieve a state monopoly on weapons.
Araghchi is aware of what happened to the Iranian axis after Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”, which began on October 7, 2023, writes Charbel. “He knows that the countries of the region are encouraging the building of bridges with his country. Perhaps he even knows that accepting a smaller role for his country is significantly better than the risk for it and its regime of a direct clash with the American military machine,” the journalist adds.