Monday, 25 May 2026
A file photo of Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Aaty, and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. Credit: AFP via Getty Images
Egypt welcomes Iran's renaming of street honoring Sadat assassin
CAIRO – Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Aaty, has welcomed Iran’s recent decision to rename a Tehran street that for decades bore the name of Khalid Islambouli, the Egyptian officer convicted of assassinating President Anwar Sadat in 1981.
In televised remarks to Egypt’s “ON” news channel, Minister Abdel Aaty described the move as a “positive step” towards easing longstanding tensions between Cairo and Tehran. “This initiative removes one of the obstacles that hindered the improvement of relations between Egypt and Iran,” he said.
The minister also noted that bilateral relations have been showing encouraging progress both regionally and on the state-to-state level. “We welcome Iran’s decision to change the name of the street dedicated to President Sadat’s assassin. We hope the accumulated momentum in this relationship will eventually restore full diplomatic ties.”
Abdel Aaty further revealed that Egypt and Iran have begun establishing a mechanism for consultations below the ministerial level, exploring avenues for cooperation in trade, economy, and tourism.
Relations between Egypt and Iran have seen renewed engagement in recent months. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has visited Cairo on several occasions, meeting with top Egyptian officials, including President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The decision by Tehran’s city council last month to rename “Khalid Islambouli Street” to “Hassan Nasrallah Street,” following coordination with the Iranian foreign ministry, was widely reported in Iranian media. For decades, the street’s previous name had been a source of deep friction, symbolizing the troubled legacy of President Sadat’s assassination and standing as a major barrier to the normalization of Egyptian-Iranian diplomatic relations.
Many observers now see the street’s renaming as a significant step toward reconciliation, raising hopes for further dialogue and cooperation between the two regional powers.