TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said that the delay in the resumption of relations between Iran and Egypt is due to foreign pressure on Cairo, the English language satellite Press TV reported on Sunday.

Salehi said here on Saturday that Tehran and Cairo intend on restoring and expanding relations, but foreign political pressures on Egypt have deferred the process, said the report.

"We understand the circumstances faced by Egypt," Salehi was quoted as saying, adding that "The relations will eventually resume between the two countries, but Egyptians are interested in taking more time to manage (the political situation) in efforts to eliminate the political pressures."

Egypt and Iran have had no normal diplomatic relation since 1979 when Cairo signed the peace treaty with Israel and offered asylum to Iran's deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

After 30 years of strained ties, Egyptian and Iranian officials voiced their hope for normalization and improving long-frozen relations between the two Islamic countries after the anti- government protests ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year ruling in Egypt.

In May, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil el-Arabi met his Iranian Salehi on the sideline of a ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Indonesia, and discussed the possibility of exchanging ambassadors with Iran.