CAIRO, Feb 21: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice kicked off a five-day tour of the Middle East in Egypt on Tuesday, amid new strains with Cairo over the pace of democratic reform.

Developments in Iraq, concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme and the rise of Hamas are expected to top the agenda of Ms Rice’s discussions in Egypt. Washington has been seeking to isolate Iran, which it calls the “central banker” for world terrorism, and to win support for eventual UN sanctions against Tehran over its disputed nuclear programme.

But domestic developments should also feature more prominently than ever in her talks after Washington repeatedly expressed its displeasure at a number of recent political developments in Egypt. Ms Rice started her visit by meeting intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who has been a key mediator with the Palestinian Authority and radical factions.

The victory last month of Hamas in the Palestinian parliamentary elections was only the latest challenge to the US vision for the Middle East.—AFP