Egyptian minister said sacked for opposing Iranian influence

The ouster of Egypt’s interior minister earlier this week was due to his opposition to a secret meeting between an adviser to President Mohammed Morsi and a high-ranking commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm reported Wednesday.

Cairo security officials confirmed to the paper that minister Ahmed Gamal El-Din’s criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood and its policies on security issues had ultimately led to his dismissal.

Morsi aide Essam al-Haddad met secretly with Qasem Suleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, a division of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — which conducts special operations outside Iran. The force is allegedly responsible for terror attacks against Israelis in India, Thailand and Georgia.

Suleimani reportedly held a series of meetings with Egyptian government and security officials in Cairo in order to advise them on building a military system that isn’t dependent on foreign intelligence.

The meetings have raised concerns that Egypt, whose military currently relies on American aid, is looking to distance itself from the West.