Egypt's foreign minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit criticized Saturday remarks by Iran's supreme leader that the unrest in Egypt was a sign of an Islamic movement gaining strength in the Arab world.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday compared the turmoil in Cairo to the period before the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979 and described the recent events as an "Islamic awakening."

Abul-Gheit said the comment "crossed all red lines by addressing Egypt's internal issues through a hostile and hateful perspective."

He said, "The hopes to establish an Islamic Middle East led by Iran reveal what the state seeks to achieve in the region."

Open gallery view Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waving to a crowd in the Iranian city of Qom, Oct. 19, 2010. Credit: AP

Khamenei also said that "the echo of the Iranian nation is now heard in North Africa," and that a new political setup in Egypt would endanger Israel's existence.

Iran and Egypt severed diplomatic ties after the 1979 revolution because of Cairo's peace treaty with Israel, although the two governments do maintain interest sections.

Egypt's anti-government protests entered their 12th day on Saturday, as thousands of protesters refused to relent on their core demand that President Hosni Mubarak step down.