Iran and Egypt Taking Steps to Improve Cooperation

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke over the phone Thursday to discuss regional security in the latest sign of thawing relations.

The two leaders spoke about the need to avoid escalation in the region, according to Egypt’s official statement. They emphasized the need for Muslim nations to support each other as brothers.

Bad blood: Relations between Iran and Egypt have been fraught with tension for decades. The 1979 Iranian Revolution marked the beginning of this division, as Iran’s radical new government violently tore down Western influence while Egypt remained a key American ally.

Whatever fraying ties that remained were officially cut in 1981 when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated by Islamic terrorists, widely believed to be sponsored by Iran.

Mending ties: A significant improvement in relations occurred on May 29, 2023, when Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced he would “welcome” the restoration of full diplomatic ties with Egypt. Since then, the two countries have worked to improve relations.

Yesterday’s call follows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Cairo earlier this week, where he met with Sisi and the Egyptian foreign minister. Both parties stressed the need to take action on behalf of the Palestinians in Gaza, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

Prophesied alliance: This week’s developments mark another step along the path to Iran and Egypt’s biblically prophesied partnership.

To learn more about this prophesied alliance, read our Trends article “Why the Trumpet Watches Iran Allying With Egypt.”