SAEDNEWS: Iran's president made the remarks in a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of a joint Arab-Islamic summit on Gaza held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday.
Rayeesi described Egypt as a "friendly country", highlighting the need for greater unity among Muslim states.
Iranian officials say Rayeesi's administration foreign policy places a premium on enhancing ties with Muslim nations and regional countries.
Turning to the dire humanitarian situation in the besieged Gaza Strip, he said that the popular demand worldwide was for the opening of the Rafah crossing in Egypt so that supplies could be sent to the Palestinian coastal enclave.
The Iranian president slammed the United States and Israel for "stonewalling" the opening of Rafah crossing.
The war on Gaza started after Hamas waged a surprise attack against Israel in response to its decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians. More than 11,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli aerial and ground raids so far. Tel Aviv has also imposed a full siege on the enclave, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to more than two million Palestinians living there.
The Rafah crossing is the only entry point to Gaza not controlled by Israel, which has implemented a “complete blockade” on the enclave and the more than 2.3 million Palestinians living there.
Some aid trucks have been able to enter Gaza through Egypt since the crisis began, but the main United Nations agencies working in Gaza have warned the limited shipments have done little to address humanitarian needs — and that more aid is desperately needed.
To date, over 900 trucks have entered Gaza through the crossing since limited deliveries resumed to the crowded Palestinian territory. Before the siege, some 500 trucks carrying aid and other goods entered Gaza every day.
The Egyptian president, for his part, said Cairo had a political will to establish "real relations" with Tehran.
To this end, relevant Egyptian ministers have been tasked with the mission of following up on the establishment of deep relations between the two countries, Sisi added.
Turning to the issue of Palestine, Sisi stated Egypt had been harmed more than any country from the repercussions of the ongoing situation in Gaza.
Iran and Egypt cut diplomatic ties in 1980 after Cairo admitted the former Shah of Iran and recognized Israel. In recent years, Iran has announced readiness to mend relations with Egypt by settling differences on certain issues.
The Rayeesi administration has been pushing to forge closer relations with neighbors as well as regional and Muslim nations, as part of a campaign against the tough US sanctions in place against the country.
Iran's president has repeatedly stressed that his administration’s foreign policy builds on forging balanced relations with all the world countries - FARSNEWS.
Iranian President: US Blocking Ceasefire in Gaza
