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国际英语资讯

"The growing Iranian influence in the region played a key role in Saudi priorities, while Saudi Arabia and Turkey found greater chances for approach based on their positions on the Syrian issue that is not equally important to Egypt," Gomaa told Xinhua.

For Medhat Hammad, professor of Iranian and Gulf studies at Egypt's Tanta University, the main disagreement is related to the difference between Egypt and Saudi Arabia over the Syrian crisis, but their difference on the Yemeni issue has been compromised by Egypt's naval presence at the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandab Strait "that provided a kind of reassurance and support to the Saudi-led strikes on Yemen."

"Saudi Arabia has decided for years Assad's departure as the solution for the Syrian crisis and supported anti-Assad 'free Syrian army' financially and logistically. But for Egypt, Syria's unity, even if fragile, is vital to the Egyptian northeastern national security," the professor told Xinhua.

Hammad argued that Saudi Arabia "fights against Iran in Syria" as Iran is considered "a strategic threat" to the oil-rich kingdom, stressing Egypt's recurrent reiteration that the Gulf national security is part of the Egyptian and Arab national security.

MEDIA BACKLASH

Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia, excluding Qatar, supported the Egyptian military-oriented administration with billions of U.S. dollars and tons of oil supplies following the military removal of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 and the consequent crackdown on his Brotherhood group.