Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi
President El-Sisi said this via video conference at an emergency meeting of European Union leaders and Middle East heads of state, held as the US-Israeli war against Iran entered its 10th day.
The meeting comes amid growing fears of a wider regional confrontation, as Iran responded to US-Israeli strikes by launching retaliatory attacks on US bases in Gulf states, as well as in Jordan and Iraq.
European capitals are particularly concerned about the conflict’s impact on global energy security, especially after attacks on energy infrastructure and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass. Europe relies heavily on Gulf energy imports, especially LNG from Qatar, which must transit the strait.
President El-Sisi called for an immediate halt to attacks on Arab states and urged all sides to pursue dialogue. He warned that the escalation is already disrupting energy markets, trade, and global supply chains, with developing nations bearing the greatest impact.
El-Sisi said Egypt firmly rejects any violation of Arab states’ sovereignty or territorial integrity and stressed that their security is closely linked to Egypt’s own.
“We emphasize the need for an immediate end to all attacks on our brotherly Arab states,” he said, reiterating that crises must be resolved through peaceful means and calling on all parties to exercise restraint.
Diplomacy, he said, is “the right option” for achieving regional stability.
El-Sisi warned that continued inaction could weaken international institutions’ ability to manage future crises, with potentially lasting consequences for global stability.
He also reaffirmed Cairo's commitment to the UN Charter and its founding principles, including respect for state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and the prohibition on the use of force.
"The international community has a shared responsibility to work together to defuse this crisis," El-Sisi added.
Egypt, he said, will continue working with all relevant countries and parties to contain the escalation, reach a peaceful solution, spare the region further instability, and protect its long-term prospects.
El-Sisi also welcomed the European Union’s role in mediating regional and international disputes and pledged continued coordination with Brussels under the framework of Egypt’s comprehensive strategic partnership with the bloc.
Nuclear-free Middle East
El-Sisi renewed Egypt’s call on Monday for establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, warning that unresolved regional crises could trigger an arms race and military escalation that would destabilize the wider global economy.
He reiterated that the nuclear non-proliferation system must be applied fully and without selectivity, in line with international law and relevant United Nations principles.
Egypt, he added, has long warned that the absence of lasting political settlements, including on nuclear proliferation, poses a direct threat to the region’s security.
Cairo has recently urged all parties to pursue a comprehensive and peaceful resolution to Iran’s nuclear programme, building on its earlier diplomatic role, the president said.
Egypt’s efforts contributed to a 2025 agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, reached at a ministerial meeting hosted in Cairo on 9 September that year, aimed at strengthening confidence-building measures between Tehran and the agency.
El-Sisi also reviewed Egypt’s efforts to de-escalate tensions and return to diplomacy, warning that further expansion of the conflict could extend beyond the region, threaten global energy security, and slow recovery from the economic effects of recent pandemics and military conflicts.
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