Tasnim – Iranian national football team’s head coach Carlos Queiroz has reportedly rejected Egypt’s offer to replace Hector Cuper.

Hector Cuper has left his role after failing to pick up a point in the World Cup group stage and the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) was reportedly considering Queiroz as a new head coach.

Cuper’s team finished bottom of Group A and was the first in the tournament to be eliminated.

The North African nation lost to Uruguay, Russia and then Saudi Arabia.

The Egyptian state media reported that Queiroz has rejected their request.

Queiroz has yet to agree to extend his stay as Team Melli coach despite claims by the president of the country’s football federation that the Portuguese would lead the team at January’s Asian Cup finals.

Morocco coach Herve Renard and Australia coach Bert van Marwijk are also on EFA’s radar.

IRNA – Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday condemned the attack on a bus carrying Egyptian Christian.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi in a statement described the move as ‘hateful’.

The Iranian official expressed solidarity with the bereaved families of the victims and wished immediate recovery of the injured.

Gunmen have killed at least seven Christians in an attack on a bus near a Coptic monastery in northern Egypt, dispatches reported.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but extremists have previously targeted the Christians on the same road south of Cairo.

AP – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has begun a Mideast visit to talk to regional leaders about ramping up pressure on Iran.

The trip comes amid confusion over conflicting Trump administration statements about a planned U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria.

Pompeo’s first stop on Tuesday is pro-Western Jordan, followed by visits to Egypt and Gulf nations.

He told reporters he plans to talk to allies about “modalities by which we may continue to apply pressure” on Iran, branded by Washington a sponsor of terrorism.

Pompeo will likely face questions about last month’s surprise announcement that U.S. troops would soon leave northeastern Syria, where they help battle remnants of the Islamic State group.

He didn’t give a timeline. Asked about confusion among allies, he said: “I’ve actually spoken to them all.

Press TV _ Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has countered US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s claims that “when America retreats, chaos often follows,” saying actually the opposite is true. 

“Whenever/wherever US interferes, chaos, repression, and resentment follow,” Zarif tweeted on Thursday in response to Pompeo’s remarks in Egypt which raised eyebrows in the United States and abroad.

Pompeo described the US as a “force for good” in the Middle East in a speech at the American University in Cairo, which contradicted President Donald Trump’s announcement last month to pull troops out of the region.

Pompeo accused former US president Barack Obama of having sowed chaos by abandoning the Middle East.

“We learned that when America retreats, chaos often follows. When we neglect our friends, resentment builds. And when we partner with our enemies, they advance,” he said.

“The good news is this: The age of self-inflicted American shame is over. And so are the policies that produced so much needless suffering. Now comes the real new beginning,” Pompeo added.

Trump last month announced that he had ordered staff to execute the “full” and “rapid” withdrawal of US military from Syria. While that decision’s timing is unclear, it is widely seen as abandoning the region.

Pompeo, however, said the US withdrawal from Syria was not “a change of mission.”

“Let me be clear: America will not retreat until the terror fight is over,” he said, adding, “For our part, our airstrikes in the region will continue as targets arise,” he added.

Pompeo’s speech drew immediate criticism from Middle East experts as well as officials who served under Obama.

“It feels a little bit as if the approach is to ‘talk loudly and carry a small stick,’” said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

In his rambling speech, Pompeo also spoke extensively of the US “campaign to stop Iran’s malevolent influence and actions against this region and the world.”

He said US economic sanctions against Iran were “the strongest in history, and will keep getting tougher until Iran starts behaving like a normal country.”

In his Thursday tweet, Zarif said, “The day Iran mimics US clients & @SecPompeo’s ‘human rights models’ — be it the Shah or current butchers — to become a ‘normal’ country is the day hell freezes over. Best for the US to just get over loss of Iran.”

Iran was a key ally of the US in the Middle East before the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the Pahlavi monarchy led by Mohammad Reza Shah.

IRNA – Head of Palestine Islamic Resistance Movement’s Political Office Ismail Haniyeh said that their ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran are in no way contradictory to those with Egypt.

Talking to reporters in his office in Gaza, he added that Hamas strategy is to boost relations with Arab and Islamic countries.

“Iran and Egypt are big countries and enjoy regional clout. Iran has always supported Hamas strategically,” he said.

Hamas is terribly interested to have relations with all countries, he said.

Referring to excellent relations between Iran and Hamas, he added that Hamas leaders and officials always visit Iran and confer with its officials.

Haniyeh also called for resistance against compromise and normalization of ties with the Zionist regime, saying, “We cannot normalize ties with a party which trampling upon the Palestinians’ rights to return home and bombing neighboring Arab states.”

If the occupiers are seeking adventurism in Gaza, they should pay for it, which may lead to their complete destruction, he stressed.

Sputnik – The news comes just one day after the Egyptian president’s visit to the White House.

Egypt has decided to withdraw from US-led initiative to create a strategic alliance with key Arab allies, known as Middle East Security Alliance (MESA), Reuters reported Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Also known as “Arab NATO,” the alliance is supposed to include Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar. Cairo, however, has reportedly decided to pull out from the group over fears of damaging its relations with Iran, the sources said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo answers a question during a news conference on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, at the Department of State in Washington.

Additionally, the sources said Egyptian authorities were partially motivated by uncertainty over President Trump’s re-election and whether his successor would scrap the entire initiative — just like Trump himself scrapped the Iranian Nuclear Deal.

Cairo’s decision is believed to have inflicted a blow on Trump’s strategy of curbing Iranian influence in the region, Reuters report says.

The initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia back in 2017 as a means to limit Russian and Chinese influence, was supported by US National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Interestingly, the report comes just one day after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visited the White House, Reuters notes.

IRNA – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Thursday that if news reports about Egypt’s withdrawal from a US-led Arab NATO initiative come true, Iran would welcome Cairo’s decision.

Speakingto IRNA political correspondent, Qasemi said that the report carried by some news agencies has not been officially confirmed yet and Iran is examining whether the reports are true or not.

‘In case the news is confirmed, we will welcome that,’ Qasemi said.

‘Egypt is an important and powerful country both in the Arab and in the Muslim world that can play a key role in creating peace, stability and security in West Asia region,’ the spokesman added.

He said that Egypt can exercise realism to help foster unity among Muslim countries and bring them closer together.

Qasemi expressed hope that Egypt, ‘as an undeniable power of Arab world’, can carry out its historical duty in the most sensitive conditions of the region.

He said that the new conditions will help Iran, Egypt and other regional countries to gain a better understanding of each other so as to be able to more actively fight terrorism, provide security and sustainable stability, and give a boost to mutual understanding and multilateral cooperation.

The Iranian spokesman expressed doubt that the Arab NATO initiative can be successful, arguing that NATO was founded in Western world ‘under certain historical and geographical conditions, based on a series of certain values and necessities and even very certain commonalities’ which is not likely to be copied in the Arab world.

IRNA – US efforts to form a coalition of Middle Eastern countries called ‘Arab NATO’ to confront the Islamic Republic of Iran failed from the very beginning due to the gulf created between the Persian Gulf states and Egypt’s opposition to the decision.

Reuters quoted four informed sources as saying that Egypt lagged behind the US strategic plan to form an alliance called the Arab NATO to curb Iran’s activities in the region.

Egypt has the largest army in the Arab world, and observers believe that the country’s withdrawing from the plan is a tough defeat for the coalition, especially Saudi Arabia. Egyptian magazine Al-Majd in this regard wrote that the withdrawal of Egypt suggests that the coalition faces serious challenges as a result of differences of opinion between the member-states regarding the identification of their common enemy. This has led to premature death for the so-called Arab NATO.

** Egypt’s departure; Crushing below to anti-Iran coalition

The Lebanese Al-Markazia News Agency in a report entitled ‘The New Arab NATO’s Failure; Is It a Crushing Blow?’ wrote that the Arab NATO, on the eve of its preparatory meeting in Riyadh on Sunday (April 14th), suffered another loss. The news leaked that Egypt which has withdrawn from Arab NATO plan, has put coalition leaders in a turbulent situation. Egypt’s withdrawal from the Arab NATO plan while member-states of this coalition are worried about Trump’s failure in the upcoming presidential elections, has made the situation more complicated. These countries are worried that the successor of Trump would put aside the Arab NATO formation in general and will ignore it in the middle of the road. This will have backfires for the members of the coalition and put them in a weaker position vis-à-vis Iran.

Egypt’s withdrawal from the coalition is due to the developments in Sudan because Egypt, unlike other Arab countries, supported the coup in Sudan, , according to Al-Markazia. Cairo’s priority is not to confront Tehran. Egypt focuses on the political developments in North Africa, especially Libya and Sudan, which can threaten the national security of Egypt. Egypt, in a situation where its backyard is witnessing dangerous military and political developments, will not endeavor in other parts of the world.

Egyptian magazine Al-Majd said in a report that Egypt’s withdrawal from the Arab NATO has revealed the situation inside the coalition and showed fragility of the coalition under the current conditions. It can be said that there is no meaning for Arab NATO without Egypt, because other Arab NATO member-states lack the necessary mechanisms, especially at the military level for coalition, and the absence of Egypt will eliminate the idea of forming an Arab NATO. At the beginning, there was a lot of enthusiasm about the formation of the Arab NATO. But as time elapsed, NATO collapsed before its formation, and there was no enthusiasm in this matter with the absence of Egypt at the meetings on the formation of Arab NATO. The responsibility and the main burden of this coalition was to be left to Egypt, and now with the withdrawal of Egypt from it, the coalition no longer has any meaning.

The Ray al- Youm newspaper wrote in an article written by Abdel Bari Atwan, ‘Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi recently slapped into the United States’ face firmly. His first slap was when he took the decision to withdraw from the Middle East Security-Economic Alliance called the Sunni Arab NATO. His second slap was his decision to buy the Su-35 fighter from Russia as the replacement of the US F-16s and F-35s.

According to the Palestinian analyst, if the withdrawal of Egypt from Arab NATO will be truly implemented it will be a courageous decision that will save Cairo from the slavery of America and the Persian Gulf states and restore its independence and dignity. Perhaps this decision will be an introduction to changing Cairo’s policies in cooperation with the occupying Israeli regime in Sinai, which many people in the Arab world to do. If this decision of the Egyptian government is accompanied by an open-minded political approach and respect for human rights and avoiding oppressive policies towards various Egyptian political organizations, it will be welcomed by many people in the region.

** Obstacles to formation of Arab NATO

According to the Arabic part of ‘Sputnik’ news agency, the mission to form a coalition in this area is not easy due to because Russia is odds with the US and some Persian Gulf states over regional issues. In this regard, the retired Lt. Col. Mahmud al-Radisat of the Jordanian army told Sputnik that the idea of forming an Arab NATO is generally unrealistic because there is no clear goal in the Arab world and among the Arab countries that they can agree on through a military alliance. On the contrary, the Arab world faces internal tensions and contradictions in interests, and each country is looking for its own interests and gains, especially on regional issues like the developments in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq and the Palestinian question. Qatari government also disagrees with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, and Qatar’s foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman, said the diplomatic crisis between the Persian Gulf states has not been resolved and the US plan for coalition in the Middle East is doomed to fail.

The Jordanian analyst added, ‘The United States is working for making coalition, and we believe that the main problems need to be solved for this coalition. One cannot be besotted with a coalition whose countries are always at odds with each other. Only Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain support the US government’s passion and enthusiasm for formulating Arab NATO, but Qatar, Kuwait and Oman have good relations with Iran. Egypt and Jordan are not worried about Iran’s influence and have focused their foreign policy priorities on the Arab-Israeli tension.

In this regard, a military expert Khalil al-Halo, told the Lebanese Markazia news agency that the US strategy would not be realized. The difference between the Arab countries is an obstacle to the political alliance to be formed between these countries against Iran. The military coalition needs a similar strategy for the region and this strategy is not provided by Washington’s regional allies

IRNA – The US attempts to form an anti-Iran coalition in the Middle East, known as the Arab NATO, has run into a stone wall.This is due to the fact that a rift between betwe the Persian Gulf’s Arab littoral states has led to Egypt’s withdrawal from the newly-forged coalition.

Reuters recently reported that Egypt has pulled out of the Arab NATO.

Egypt has the biggest Army of all Arab countries; observers interpret the move as a heavy defeat for Saudi Arabia. Egypt’s ‘Elmegd’ newspaper wrote that Cairo’s withdrawal from the organization before it actually takes form shows that they have challenges in determining the common enemy; that’s why the military body was born dead.

** Lebanese ‘Almarkazia’ wrote the Arab NATO was heavily hurt once again right before its preliminary meeting on Sunday. At a time when the Arab states are worried about US President Donald Trump’s defeat in the elections, the pullout disrupted the situation. They are worried that Trump’s potential successor might put the plan aside entirely, which will adversely weaken the member states against Iran.

Almarkazia wrote that Egypt’s withdrawal from the coalition is because of the developments in Sudan; unlike other Arab countries, Egypt supports the coup in Sudan. Cairo’s priority is not to encounter Tehran; it has focused in the political developments of northern Africa, especially Libya and Sudan, which can threaten Egypt’s security. Therefore, it will not make any military efforts far from home.

Elmagd wrote in a report that the withdrawal unveiled that the coalition is frail and one can say that the Arab NATO is pointless without Egypt because the other Arab states lack the necessary mechanism; absence of Egypt will annihilate the idea of Arab NATO.

The idea brought up a lot of happiness in the beginning but disintegrated after some time; Egypt’s pullout killed all the delight. Egypt was to be in charge of the coalitions, so now, the coalition makes no sense.

Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of the London-based ‘Raialyoum’, believes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi slammed the US twice recently. First, he pulled out his country from the security-economic coalition of the Middle East, named the Arab NATO. Second, he purchased Sukhoi 35 jetfighters from Russia as a substitute for Egypt’s F16 and F35 US-made fighters.

According to this Palestinian analyst, if implemented, the withdrawal is brave strategic decision that will free Egypt from the US and littoral Arab Persian Gulf states’ bondage and restore the country’s dignity and independence.

** The obstacles in the path of making the Arab NATO
According the Arabic Sputnik, despite the cooperation between the US and some Arab states to control Iran, because of disagreements about regional issues, forming such a coalition wouldn’t be easy. A retired Jordanian colonel, Mahmoud al-Radisat, told Sputnik that the idea is not real because there are no clear goals so that they can make an agreement through the Arab NATO.

On the contrary, the Arab World has some tension and contradictions in interests and each pursue its own goals in regional issues, like those of Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Palestine.

What’s more, the government of Qatar has taken issue with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said if the diplomatic crisis between the Persian Gulf littoral states doesn’t get solved, the US plan for making an Arab coalition is doomed to fail.

The Jordanian analyst added that the US is trying to create a coalition, but for that, first, the main problem should be solved. No coalition can be relied on if its members are drifted apart.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain are the only counties to back US excitement for formation of the Arab NATO; Qatar, Kuwait and Oman are on good terms with Iran. Also, Egypt and Jordan are not worries about the leverage of Iran and their foreign policy priority is the tension between the Arabs and Israel.

A military analyst, Khalil el-Helou, told Almarkazia that the US’ strategy to counter Iran will not happen. The US is attempting to create an Arab collation while the Arabs are facing changes among themselves. A military coalition needs a common strategy which is absent among Washington’s regional allies.

Qatar’s Aljazeera wrote that the coalition seems impossible, due to some disagreements, the first of which is determining the source of the threat. The Saudis, the UAE, and Bahrain say that Iran is the main threat, while others don’t think so.

According to Aljazeera, Giorgio Cafiero, a Persian Gulf analyst, said that the Saudis and their allies’ blockade against Qatar has complicated the region.

Florence Gaub, a security and strategy analyst, believes that there are two major challenges to create the Arab NATO. First, trust between the members is fading away. Second, the nature of the challenges of the Arab states, which don’t originate in direct military threats; their real challenges are domestic groups out of the central governments’ control.

FNA – Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority Mohab Mamish dismissed Arab media reports claiming that a Ukrainian oil tanker carrying Iran’s oil to Syria has been seized in the Canal.

“The Suez Canal Authority is bound to the freedom of international shipping in the Canal and permits all ships to cross the Canal except in special conditions,” Mamish was quoted as saying by the Arabic-language Sad al-Balad news website on Wednesday.

“No ship can be prevented from crossing the Suez Canal; oil and weapons trade are both legitimate,” he added.

Mamish said that Egypt will prevent passage of vessels if it receives an order by the UN to do so; or the ship carries illegal materials.

A report from Arab news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed claimed earlier this week that Egypt seized a Ukrainian oil tanker carrying Iranian crude while it was crossing the Suez Canal ten days ago.