In the recent past days, the tension between Egypt and Iran went up. This is connected to many questions and issues in the Middle East. The main sources of this tension are the suspicious Iranian nuclear program, the Lebanese question with the Iranian affiliation of Hezbullah and the Iranian interference in the Palestinian question through Hamas, especially in the neighboring Gaza strip.

As a matter of fact, the Iranian controversial role and influence in those questions are just results of the Iranian general policy in the region, or I can say its grand regional strategy, which can be described as expansionist and somehow aggressive, since the Shiite Islamic revolution in Iran and the consequent Iranian regime’s adoption of the policy of revolution exportation to the region’s countries.

Furthermore, after the international and, somewhat, regional isolation of Iran due to the nature of its ruling totalitarian theocratic regime, this regime resorted to aggressiveness and aggressive expansion in the region while adopting an extremist agenda and rhetoric resting on its religious ideological basis.

Hence, this regional tension, expressed recently by attacking Egyptian governments by many Iranian newspapers, and the explicit and direct criticism of the Iranian policy on some regional issues by the Egyptian foreign minister, rests on this Iranian grand policy and strategy in the region, especially in some Arab countries and Arab questions.

The Egyptian criticism was remarkable and significant as Arab governments used to express their complaints and concerns over Iran’s policies, behavior and interferences in a very non-public way and even implicit. This indicates an increase in the level of disagreement between the two countries that this disagreement has reached a point in which Egypt could not put up with the Iran’s policy and behavior anymore because Egypt has started to feel threatened by this policy, and has perceived a serious Iranian threat to its national security.

I think that Hamas question in the neighboring Gaza strip is the direct cause of Egypt’s recent perception since Iran, through Hamas, is sabotaging Gaza strip’s affairs for its advantage and interests. Therefore, Egypt is no more able to put up with the Iranian presence on its borders.

It is time to regain Gaza strip as a Palestinian and Arab land, free it from extremism, violence and banditry and get Iran back to the Iranian territory. Egypt is a key power for this objective.