Egyptian-Iranian reconciliation will not settle their problems

Is there a subject of agreement between the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and his Egyptian counterpart Mohammed Morsi? Unfortunately, it seems there is no common denominator between the two men except a desire to affirm their political positions. Despite the symbolism surrounding the two leader’s meeting, the Egyptian President did not shy from adopting a clear position away from his opposite number when it came to Syria. Morsi attacked Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, describing him as a “tyrant” while Iran continues to support the regime oppressing and humiliating the Syrian people. After the January 25 revolution, how could any Egyptian ruler support a tyrant like Assad? Morsi needs to achieve reconciliation with his own people before he starts achieving reconciliation with Iran. Egypt’s Grand Imam of al-Azhar was fairly clear when he demanded the Iranian regime suspend threats against Gulf states, on top of halting suppression on Iran’s Sunnis. On a similar note, it’s well known how Iran deals with its Christians. What exactly would Egypt gain from rapprochement with Iran? Can Egypt, ruled by the Muslim Brotherhood, affect Iran’s behaviour towards Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Tunisia? It might be possible to welcome this news – as a way of serving regional stability – if this rapprochement had not been pushed in the same hostile way that the former Iranian regime [of the Shah] had pushed against the Gulf states. Iranian policy has remained the same before, during and after 1979. Iran is trying to perform the role of the Gulf’s policeman. It turned to interfere in Bahrain before pushing its influence in Yemen through the Houthis and other separatists in the south. It would have been better for the Egyptian President to show a bit of caution when dealing with the Iranian President, by simply receiving him at the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation [OIC] summit and not allowing him to appear as the one party able to restore relations in Egypt. Ahmadinejad’s presidential term will come to an end in the near future and he faces tough opposition at home. Internal politics is trying to push him aside. Morsi’s warm reception could affect this. The Iranian President’s visit has ultimately revealed two main issues. One, there is no political substance to an Iranian-Egyptian reconciliation. Two, Egypt has no clear strategy in regional relations. If it had such a strategy, it would premeditated the effects of a meeting between Morsi and Ahmadinejad on the Syrian regime and its interference in Lebanon. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.