Iran president calls on Egypt not to suppress the people

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Iran welcomed the fall in 2011 of secular President Hosni Mubarak and at first hailed the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as part of what it saw as an "Islamic awakening" across the Arab world.

But relations cooled after President Mohamed Mursi voiced support for Syrian rebels fighting Tehran's ally President Bashar al-Assad. Iranian officials have nevertheless condemned the military takeover in Egypt and called for dialogue to resolve the crisis.

"The great people of Egypt are a great and freedom-seeking people. Do not suppress them. The way of the people is the way of democracy and Islam. Everyone in the world should respect the wishes of the Egyptian people," Rouhani told parliament.

(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Writing by Jon Hemming; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

World Egypt

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