Egypt shuts Iranian TV station

2008-07-24 10:39

Cairo - Egypt, irritated with Iran over a film on the assassination of President Anwar Sadat, shut down the Cairo offices of an Iranian television station that it said was not properly licenced, said security sources on Thursday.

The sources said police closed the offices of Iran's state-owned Arabic Al-Alam television on Tuesday because it did not have a broadcasting licence, and confiscated computers and photo equipment. They gave no further explanation for the move.

But the closure came weeks after Egypt summoned the head of the Iranian interests office in Cairo over a film on the killing of Sadat, who made peace with Israel.

State media said the film would damage improving ties between the countries but gave few details of its content.

Mainly Sunni Muslim Egypt and Shi'ite Iran had not had full diplomatic relations since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, after Iran cut ties after Sadat hosted the deposed pro-Western Shah in Cairo.

Iran said in January it was close to restoring full diplomatic relations with Egypt, but Egyptian officials had been more cautious.

Cairo had said a Tehran street named after Sadat's assassin should be changed and murals of the assassin in the Iranian capital removed. Some security issues also must be resolved, Egyptian officials had said.

Egypt and Iran maintained interests sections in Tehran and Cairo, and their ministers work together at international gatherings. But senior officials did not often exchange visits.

- Reuters