In 1969, President Anwar Sadat traveled to Rabat to attend the Islamic Conference summit, which was held in the aftermath of the Al-Aqsa Mosque fire. At the time, Sadat was the Vice President of Egypt, and was assigned the mission by President Jamal Abdel Nasser after suffering a heart attack. He had two tasks - the first, a public one, was to deliver Egypt’s address at the summit, and the second, a secret one, was to establish peace with the Shah of Iran, based on an initiative by King Faisal bin Abdulaziz. Egyptian-Iranian relations had been suspended since 1960, amid intense disagreements between Nasser and the Shah.
However, after Egypt’s defeat in the Six-Day War, also known as the Naksa, King Faisal led mediation efforts to restore ties between the two nations. As soon as Sadat arrived in Morocco, he contacted King Hassan II and requested a meeting with the Shah in the king’s room, considering it a neutral location. An hour later, King Hassan II informed Sadat that the Shah had refused, stating, “Egypt should come to us.”
The Shah argued that Sadat was the Vice President, not the Head of State, and that protocol required the Vice President to visit the Shah rather than the other way around. Sadat, however, refused to go to the Shah. During his speech at the conference, the Shah offered financial and diplomatic assistance to Egypt on the condition that it had learned from its defeat. Sadat stood up, interrupting the Shah, and declared loudly, “Egypt does not beg for any favors. Arab honor forbids it.
The Egyptian people and their government bear the burden of defeat and the responsibility for future victory, if needed.” Sadat then turned to the Shah and recited a verse in fluent Persian - “He who earns his fortune through hard work needs no one’s generosity, nor does he accept anyone’s charity.” The atmosphere grew tense, and the Shah requested the floor, saying to King Hassan, “Is this conference a poetry forum? Had I known there were poets among us, I would have brought some from Iran, for we have many poets.”
Sadat did not remain silent. He continued to criticize Iran for its close ties with Israel and also ridiculed the Shah’s proposals for dealing with the Al-Aqsa Mosque fire. Realizing at that point that he had escalated the conflict, which was contrary to his primary mission of fostering reconciliation, Sadat decided to de-escalate the dispute and ease tensions with the Shah.
Once again, Sadat recited, in Persian, a poem by a renowned Iranian poet that emphasized brotherhood and love among people and praised the Shah’s father. The Shah was so impressed by the poem and Sadat’s fluent Persian that he applauded him. Later, upon returning to his residence, the Shah summoned his foreign minister and scolded him for failing to inform him that Sadat was a skilled Persian orator and a reciter of classical poetry. The Shah remarked that Sadat must be an extraordinary man, and instructed his foreign minister to arrange the meeting requested by King Faisal. The meeting took place a few hours later, first with King Faisal present, followed by a private meeting between Sadat and the Shah. This marked the beginning of a sincere relationship that continued until the Shah’s death.
On the day of Nasser’s death, the Shah sent his prime minister to Egypt. Officially, the visit was to attend Nasser’s funeral, but its true purpose was a private meeting with Sadat to convey Iran’s full support for him and for Egypt under his leadership, and to express readiness to resume relations at the highest level once the burial was over. Relations between the two countries were restored, and the friendship between the two leaders deepened. The Shah affectionately referred to Sadat as “My Brother Anwar”, and Sadat called him “My Brother Shah Mohammad.”
When the October 1973 War broke out, the Shah stood firmly by his friend’s side, despite his close ties with Israel. As Egypt began to suffer from dwindling oil reserves and insufficient stockpiles, Sadat reached out to the Shah, who responded without hesitation. The Shah ordered oil tankers bound for Europe to be diverted to Alexandria, where they could unload their cargo. He also sent a telegram to Sadat stating, “600,000 tons of oil, which were en route to Europe, are on their way to you. I have ordered them to be sent to Alexandria as the first shipment. I request that you send the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum to Tehran to determine the amount of oil required for subsequent shipments.”
The volume of Iranian financial aid to Egypt later reached approximately $900 million. The Shah also offered Sadat a contribution for the development of Port Said. In a historic letter, the Shah wrote, “In the name of my nation, I wish to participate in the construction and revitalization of Port Said as a free zone to serve global trade and industry. Here is $250 million in aid, which you can repay over an extended period.” When President Sadat decided to reopen the Suez Canal to generate hard currency for Egypt instead of relying on aid from Arab countries, the Shah of Iran sent heavy equipment to help clear the canal and dispatched his son, Reza, to attend the opening ceremony. When asked about the secret behind his affection for Sadat, the Shah explained that Sadat was the only person with whom he had truly experienced the meaning of true friendship.
