An unidentified man with a Syrian accent was detained after attempting to assault Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he was coming out of the Al-Hussein Mosque in Cairo Tuesday, according to the Turkish news agency Anadolu.
Egyptian security guards arrested the unnamed man, who was allegedly angered over Iranian support of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
President Mohamed Morsy had met with Ahmadinejad when he touched down at Cairo International Airport to attend the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Summit in the capital on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ahmadinejad also met with Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, Al-Azhar scholars and Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa.
An anonymous source within Al-Azhar said the scholars discussed ways of boosting cooperation between Al-Azhar and Iran.
Ahmadinejad is also set to visit the Giza Pyramids on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Antiquities.
Adel Abdel Sattar, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Authorities, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Ahmadinejad will not be touring any other archaeological sites and that security at the pyramids will be tight during his visit.
Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is taking every precaution during the state visit and has put the army in charge of securing the summit.
Army Central Region Command Chief Tawhid Tawfiq said he had assigned units to secure the airport and the Fairmont Heliopolis Hotel, which is hosting the meeting.
This is the first state visit by an Iranian president since Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979 that led to the severing of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
