| Summary/Abstract |
In the wake of the October 1973 war, Moscow sought superpower collaboration that would ensure its participation in the nascent Arab-Israel peace process, but the direct Israeli-Egyptian negotiations that culminated in the September 1978 Camp David Accords foiled this plan. As a result, the Soviets launched a diplomatic offensive against the deal and tried to forge an Arab front to isolate Egypt, only to see Cairo and Jerusalem signing a fully fledged peace treaty in March 1979. Then came the Iran–Iraq war (1980–88) and further shattered Moscow’s Middle Eastern stance as fears of Tehran’s hegemonic designs led to Egypt’s reincorporation into the Arab fold.
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