Iran, Tunisia stress peaceful settlement of crisis in Egypt

Iran's President-elect Hassan Rouhani and Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, in a phone conversation, discussed the latest developments in Egypt, underlining that national dialogue is the only way to meet the demands of the Muslim nation. “Whatever decision is made by the Egyptian people should be respected by all,” said the Iranian president-elect, expressing hope the developments in the North African country will play out in such a way that will serve the interests of the Egyptian people. The Tunisian president, for his part, said his country was unhappy with the conflicts and bloodshed in Egypt, and would try to work in tandem with others to help restore tranquility to Egypt and the other Islamic countries gripped by unrest. Egypt plunged into violence after the country’s army ousted President Mohammed Mursi, suspended the constitution, and dissolved the parliament on July 3. The military overthrow followed days of mass protests against Mursi. The army also declared chief justice of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mansour, as interim president. On Wednesday, the Egyptian Prosecutor General ordered the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leaders including the supreme leader of the group, Mohammed Badie, on charges of inciting violence. Many people have been killed in violent clashes involving supporters and opponents of Mursi and security forces over the past few days, with more than 80 deaths reported on July 8 alone.