Egyptian officials unhappy with Iranian statement on Algeria

The exerted efforts to improve Iranian - Egyptian relations have encountered a stumbling block. Amr Moussa, the Egyptian foreign minister, paved the way for improving relations with Iran during his participation in December's Islamic summit in Tehran.

However, last week Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri, the speaker of Iran's parliament, accused the Algerian army of involvement in massacres against Algerian civilians and working to prevent Islamic rule.

Nouri, the speaker of Iran's parliament, lauded the Islamic movement in Algeria and said that the Algerian government and the west cooperate in order to destroy the Islamic movement.

The Iranian media has repeatedly expressed the same view, but this is the first time Iran accused the Algerian government of being involved in the massacres.

Egyptian officials were "shocked" by the accusations according to our sources. The Egyptian officials consider these accusations interference in the affairs of an Arab state.