Egypt protests at Iran's response to Hezbollah arrests

Cairo: The Egyptian Foreign Ministry yesterday summoned the head of the Iranian Interest Section in Cairo to convey the country's "strong protest" at recent statements made by Iranian officials on the arrest of Arab nationals with alleged links to the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

"Egypt confirms its complete rejection of these statements," said Mohammad Al Zurqani, an assistant to the Egyptian Foreign Minister for Asian affairs, after talks with Chief of the Iranian Interest Section Hussain Rajabi.

Al Zurqani was quoted by the official Middle East News Agency as telling Rajabi that Cairo "strongly protests these statements", which he described as tantamount to "a glaring interference" in Egypt's affairs.

Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted as dismissing Egyptian accusations against Hezbollah as an "old trick" aimed at influencing upcoming elections in Lebanon. "Labels against& Hezbollah and [its chief] Hassan Nasrallah are an old and frayed trick and will not achieve anything," Mottaki told the Fars News Agency.

Earlier this month, Egyptian authorities announced it arrested scores of Egyptian, Palestinian and Sudanese nationals, who had been allegedly assigned by Hezbollah to carry out terror attacks in Egypt.

The 49-member cell is reportedly led by Sami Shehab, a Lebanese national, now being questioned in Egypt. The suspects also face charges of espionage and planning to overthrow the regime.