Brotherhood-Iranian plot to drive a wedge between Egypt & KSA

Cairo— Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a televised interview, broadcast on Tuesday, that there was no dispute over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, and what happened was only an Egyptian-Saudi maritime border demarcation agreement on the two Red Sea islands. It is undisputed that the two islands are registered with both Egypt and Saudi Arabia as “Saudi territories,” in addition to international geography centers that attest to this fact.

In his televised interview with Al Arabiya TV, Bin Salman said that Egypt has not given up any inch of its land, adding that a groundbreaking ceremony was held for King Salman Bridge which is expected to be built by 2020.

"Egypt-Saudi relations are strong and deep,” he asserted. “There are no negative feelings between the two countries.”  He added that the enemies of the KSA and Egypt are spreading romours and propaganda "to harm our relationship."

The Crown Prince, who is the youngest minister of defense in the world, explained that Egyptian-Saudi relations are very strong and deeply rooted in history, saying, "Our bilateral relations can never be affected by the cheap propaganda spearheaded by both the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran." He pointed out that Egyptian media that criticize Saudi Arabia is the same media that is trying to find fault with President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi. “The Egyptian and Saudi governments have always been good and strategic partners in the region. We do share positive attitudes towards each other, with no signs of failed diplomacy or disagreement between the two sides,” stressed bin Salman."

Bin Salman said that the enemies of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, who are the agents of the Brotherhood-Iranian propaganda, will work hard to cause a rift between the two sides, but that will never happen. Rest assured! He continued, “The leadership of the two countries will not pay attention to these trivialities and nonsense."

The two islands, located in the Red Sea to the east of the Sinai Peninsula and the west of the Arabian Peninsula, have previously been administered by Egypt but Saudi Arabia has also laid claim to them.

In 1949, Saudi Arabia allowed Egypt to occupy the two islands “for defensive purposes,” following the establishment of the Israeli state. Egypt proceeded to block passage through the Strait of Tiran, Israel’s only maritime passage from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Red Sea. Tiran Island was captured by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967 and remained under Israeli control until 1982. Egypt maintains that it never had full sovereignty over the two islands and was simply controlling them administratively.