Iran, Egypt agree to resume direct flights

Iran and Egypt, two countries that long have been openly hostile to each other, made a surprise agreement Sunday to resume direct flights for the first time since 1979, Los Ageles Times reports.

An accord to begin 28 weekly flights between the two countries was reached at a meeting of civil aviation and tourism authorities in Cairo signed. No start date was specified.

The Iranian Fars news agency described the deal and a visit by an Iranian trade delegation to Cairo as "a prelude to the resumption of ties between the two countries."

Rapprochement between Egypt and Iran could change the diplomatic balance of the Middle East, but many hurdles remain. Tehran calls Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel, a U.S. tool while Cairo considers the Islamic Republic an exporter of extremist Islam and terrorism.

Egyptian officials have complained for years that Iran continues to publicly hail the assassination of Anwar Sadat, who signed Egypt's peace deal with Israel. Egypt hosts the tomb of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and annually honors the late Iranian leader, which does much to irritate Iran.