Why Egypt’s islamist will resist Iran’s courtship (an attempt to break out of diplomatic isolation).
REASON #1: Iran’s support of Assad in Syria of genocide against Sunni muslims civilians makes friendly relations domestically risky in Egypt. For example, can the Egyptians allow the shipment of Iranian arms via the Suez cannon to Syria for use in slaughtering Sunnis?
REASON #2: Iran’s, a persecutor of minorities at home, encourages 2nd class citizenship for Sunnis in Lebanon, Iraq and Iran itself. The Egyptian people know this.
REASON #3: Having no oil revenues, Egypt needs western tourism, Saudi economic assistance and access to Western economies more than it needs Khamenei’s “friendship.” It can’t offend any of the above three to no benefit for itself accept ideologically.
REASON #4: Iran’s persistance in destablization schemes, arm shipments and terrorist plots against muslim regimes in the Middle East and Africa make the Iranian regime a mistrusted pariah everywhere in the region.
In sum, the Iranian dictatorship’s courtship of Egypt is a nice attempt at an end run, but it won’t play because Egypt has much to lose, little to gain. Iran would be the sole beneficiary–militarily, politically and economically.
NOTE: Iran’s loose cannon behavior going back as far as the Lebanon barracks attack and the US embassy siege combined with endless boneheaded plots have another consequence–reinforcing perceptions that a PROVEN outlaw regime that likes to gamble and never plays by accepted rules cannot be trusted with nukes because. Would it be tempted to find a sneaky way to use them–if not against the West or Israeli then against the nukeless Saudis? Can the world afford to take the chance? Iran’s acquisition of nukes would compel the Saudis from sheer common sense.
Would the average Iranian then feel more secure?
