Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's statement regarding Egypt's nationwide protests "reveals feelings of hatred and hostility toward Egypt," said Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
In a statement to reporters, Aboul Gheit said he was not surprised by the Iranian Ayatollah's offence.
Khomeini, speaking in his Friday sermon, which he delivered in classical Arabic, called for establishing an Islamic regime in Egypt resembling that in Iran.
The religious leader's wish to establish an Islamic Middle East led by Iran reveals what Iran seeks to achieve in the region, said Aboul Gheit. "His words are worth condemning because it crosses all limits in addressing Egypt's affairs from a spiteful perspective. Iranian sheikhs' Friday sermons were full of abuse against Egyptian leadership and armed forces," added the foreign minister.
Aboul Gheit advised Khomeini to heed his own country and people who have been suffering from oppression for more than 30 years, instead of trying to turn the Iranian people's attention toward Egypt's current events.
