But Egyptians are irritated at less scientific matters than splitting the atom.
"Iran's smuggling of weapons to Hamas, its supporting of Hamas leaders abroad," analyst Salam said. "All that disturbed Egypt rather than sent assurances about the genuineness of the Iranian call to resume relations."
Ahmadinejad has said several times in the last year that Tehran wants to move quickly to restore relations. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit has said that won't happen until Tehran removes a mural honoring Sadat's assassin and changes the name of the street. Such gestures may upset Iranian fundamentalists who are still riled at Cairo for granting asylum in 1979 to deposed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, which, along with Sadat's peace treaty with Israel, resulted in Iran's new Islamic revolutionary government breaking ties with Egypt.
Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a former diplomat who heads the Institute for Inter-religious Dialogue in Tehran, said such historical affronts masked deeper misgivings.
"The Egyptian security guys are frozen in the mentality of 20 years ago," he said. "I don't believe the Mubarak regime wants better relations. . . . The name of a small street in one country shouldn't make for such diplomatic obstacles."
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jeffrey.fleishman@latimes.com
