Skip to main content

Egypt's foreign minister makes first trip to Iran to attend president's funeral

1 min Mena Today

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed on Wednesday to Tehran to participate in the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed on Wednesday to Tehran to participate in the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Shoukry's visit is the first visit by the Egyptian foreign minister to Iran," Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said.

Relations between Egypt and Iran have often been fraught in recent decades although the two countries have maintained diplomatic contacts.

Last September, foreign ministers of both countries met during the United Nations leaders gathering in New York and Raisi, who also attended the U.N. General Assembly, said at the time that the meeting could pave the way for a restoration of ties.

Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who also died in the crash, had met his Egyptian counterpart earlier this month in Gambia on the sidelines of a summit for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The two ministers had discussed efforts to promote bilateral relations and the latest developments in the region, especially the ongoing situation in Gaza.

By Jana Choukeir and Tala Ramadan

Related

Strait of Hormuz

Mediators push to unblock Hormuz as Iran war drags on

Mediators in the Iran war are stepping up efforts to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened, with Tehran agreeing to draw up a list of conditions to restore normal traffic after a Qatari emissary pressed the Iranians to respect freedom of navigation.

Iran

Iran's disfigured supreme leader remains invisible

Six months after the airstrikes that began the war and propelled a badly wounded Mojtaba Khamenei into the role of Iran's supreme leader, he remains entirely unseen and unheard by Iranians  — a vacuum at the heart of his country's leadership.

Iran

Tehran rejects claims of plot targeting Trump's son

Iran's Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei said a report about a potential plot to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son is a lie, in an interview broadcast by Lebanon's Al Manar TV on Thursday.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.