Government sources said that the decision taken by Tourism Minister Hesham Zaazou to stop incoming flights from Iran until the second half of June came after receiving an angry call from the Iranian side, after the Cairo residence of the Iranian chargé d'affaires Mojtaba Amani was attacked by Salafis two days ago.
Sources told the London-based newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, that Tehran asked for assurances from the Egyptian government that it would secure its diplomatic mission and Iranian tourists.
Government officials, including Zaazou, are scheduled to begin holding meetings with the Salafi movement in the upcoming days, to explain the rationale for bringing Iranians tourists, and to ease their fears, particularly with regard to the fear that Iranians visiting Egypt will promote Shia Islam in the country.
Previously icy relations between Egypt and Iran began to warm this year under President Mohamed Morsy’s leadership, with a visit from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Al-Azhar last month.
