A delegation of Iranian politicians will visit Algeria and Tunisia this week to boost Iran's presence in Africa, find new friends after Iran's disastrous proxy war in Gaza, and turn the page on Algeria's unfortunate history. I was hoping for that.
The Iranian delegation led by Ibrahim Azizi, Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Parliament, and Iranian Ambassador to Algeria Mohammad Reza Babai also participated.
Relations between Algeria and Iran are delicate, with lingering hostility over Iran's role in Algeria's brutal civil war in the 1990s, known to many Algerians as the “Black Decade.” war It started When the Algerian government canceled parliamentary elections for fear that Islamists would take power.
The Islamists launched a war of terror that escalated into a murderous frenzy, with both rebels and government forces killing countless civilians. The death toll ultimately exceeded 200,000, with thousands of victims completely missing. Almost every family in Algeria was affected by the conflict.
Iran supported the rebellion, which some Algerians resent to this day accuse Tehran is trying to spread Shiite Islamic extremism in the country. Since diplomatic relations were restored in the 2000s, Algeria's government has treated Iran much more civilly than most of its people.
Iran and Algeria have sought to strengthen ties over the past year, emphasizing common economic and strategic interests, including mutual hostility to Israel's war against Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Iran's interest in improving relations with Algeria may have something to do with Algeria is holding It is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, with a two-year term starting in January 2024. algeria used The position of calling for a ceasefire to protect Hamas will fail.
Mohamed Amroun, head of Algeria's Foreign Affairs Committee, said this week's Iranian visit was an “opportunity for the two countries to discuss the current good bilateral relations” and “strengthen cooperation and sign an agreement in many respects.” By strengthening the relationship between the two countries, we will raise the relationship between the two countries to the best possible level.” regional and international issues; ”
As for Tunisia, Iran saw an opportunity when authoritarian President Kais Saied visited Tehran in May to attend the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. killed in a helicopter crash.
Raisi's successor, President Masoud Pezeshkian, returned the favor by rushing to congratulate Saied on his inauguration. re-election In the October race, he ran unopposed, seized nearly unified power, and threw his main opponents in prison.
Said was the first Tunisian leader to visit Iran since 1965, so his presence at the funeral was significant. french Le Monde thought Mr. Said had signaled a shift away from Western powers that did not recognize his iron-fisted rule and towards an axis of oppression dominated by Iran, China and Russia.
“Said is constantly sending a message to Westerners that Tunisia has the right to build and strengthen relationships with other forces, including anti-Western forces,” said Hamza Medeb, a fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center. spoke. Le Monde In May.
Interestingly, Saeed's pivot to Iran appears to have begun in Algeria, where he was welcomed as a “guest of honor” at a summit in Algiers in March, and was attended by a number of people, including Iran's Ebrahim Raisi. He met with leaders of the Middle Eastern oil state. He would be killed within three months.
Mr. Said appears to be interested in joining a coalition of Arab nationalist forces, turning his attention to Tehran's Shiite theocracy when Sunni Muslim powers like Saudi Arabia grow tired of its confrontational stance against the West. directed.
Mr Said has been even more confrontational towards Israel, which is likely to cause Tunisia to distance itself from countries that want to normalize relations with Israel during the second Trump administration. Tunisia was one of the first Arab countries to support a “two-state solution” for the Palestinians, and Qais Said was one of the first Arab leaders to support it. refuse itcondemned negotiations with Israel as “treason” against the Palestinian people.
Said has publicly stated that Israel should be expelled from “all of Palestine” (meaning all of Israel) by August 2023. Mr Said praised the October 7 atrocity as “legitimate resistance”, and when the Arab League issued a belated joint statement condemning the killing of civilians by “both sides”, Mr Said managed to include a footnote saying “Palestinian… It included a sentence emphasizing “the people's right to use violence.” “Establishment of an independent state throughout Palestine.''
Having stopped short of taking action that would destroy all bridges to the West and the Gulf, Said wants to play the boring game of getting the US and Europe to cooperate against the China-Russia-Iran axis. There is a possibility. Another is in the race for Tunisia's affections. An Iranian delegation that visited Africa this week appears to have put Tehran's first bid on the table.
