Iran Wants To Be Friends With Egypt; Egypt Demurs

If Iran and Egypt stand beside each other, there won't be any more need for war to root out enemies and Zionists' domination
Ahmadinejad

Hope springs eternal.

The reality though is that somewhat different: After seeing Arab Spring as an opportunity, Iran meets a largely closed door in Egypt:

Iran once saw the Arab Spring uprisings as a prime opportunity, hoping it would open the door for it to spread its influence in countries whose autocratic leaders long shunned Tehran’s ruling clerics. But it is finding the new order no more welcoming. Egypt is a prime example.

Egypt has sporadically looked more friendly toward Iran since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak 16 months ago, and the rise of the Islamists here fueled the expectations of Tehran’s clerical regime that it could make inroads.

Instead, it has been met with the deep mistrust felt by many in mainly Sunni Muslim Egypt toward non-Arab, Shiite-dominated Iran — as well as Cairo’s reluctance to sacrifice good relations with Iran’s rivals, the United States and the oil-rich Arab nations of the Gulf.

Read the whole thing.

Contrary to its expectations, Iran has found that the Arab Spring is not the vehicle for it to spread it's influence in the region. Instead, Iran has failed to become the alternative model and leader with the fall of Mubarak, Gaddafi and Yemen's Saleh.

I'm sure it didn't help when last year Egypt expelled an Iranian diplomat for spying.

Bottom line, Egypt sees itself as a leader in the region just as Turkey does--they will not be so quick to become allies to further Iran's goals.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Gaza and Hamas and Operation Cast Lead.