Tuesday October 5, 2010

I've Been Thinking:

On Sunday Egypt and Iran signed an agreement to resume direct, daily flights. The agreement stipulates that 28 flights per week will go from Egypt to Iran and back.

Since the 1979 Egyptian Peace Accords with Israel relations between Egypt and Iran can only be described as ugly. Then, in 1980 official relations were severed because of the Islamic revolution in Iran. Any hope for resurrecting a relationship between the countries was lost in 1981 and the assassination of Anwar Sadat. Iran went so far as to praise the assassin and name a major intersection after him.

These two nations have many and serious differences of opinion - especially regarding the United States and Israel.
Hosam Zaki, spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, explained that this deal strengthens existing economic ties between Iran and Egypt, then added that political ties were a different matter.

He said: "It is a development in the relations between Egypt and Iran."
He said: "Both countries have economic interests that have not stopped regardless of the political situation."
He said: "But political developments require certain conditions Egypt has voiced in the past."

If Egypt and Iran are able to smooth things over there is the potential for a shift in Middle East balance. This is more than 28 flights per week. This is a very significant move.

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