Egypt advocates for NPT to include all Middle East countries ‘without exception’

CAIRO – 13 September 2025: Egypt has reiterated its support for the universalization of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), particularly in the Middle East.

In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday, Egypt emphasized the importance of all countries in the region joining the treaty without exception and placing their nuclear facilities under the comprehensive safeguards agreements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Israel, the only country in the Middle East that has not joined the treaty, maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity, neither confirming nor denying possession of nuclear weapons, although widely believed to have a nuclear arsenal.

Egypt stressed that the universalization of the NPT in the Middle Eat would enhance transparency, prevent the application of double standards in addressing nuclear programs in the region, and help curb rising regional tensions.

The statement was released ahead of the 69th IAEA General Conference, set to take place in Vienna, Austria, from 15 to 19 September 2025. The ministry highlighted growing international attention to nuclear programs in the Middle East and the need to ensure their peaceful nature and full compliance with NPT obligations.

‘Middle East Free from Nukes’

Egypt reaffirmed the critical importance of freeing the Middle East from nuclear weapons, and expressed its continued commitment to pursuing this goal.

The ministry added that such move is fundamental to achieve regional and global security, prevent a destabilizing arms race that threatens peace and security of the region and the world, and advance the broader objective of a world free of nuclear weapons.

Egypt highlighted its historical leadership on the issue since the launch of the 1974 initiative at the United Nations to create a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. This, the statement noted, reflects a consistent and strategic commitment to shielding the peoples of the region from the dangers of nuclear proliferation.

Call for World

Expressing concern over the ongoing threat posed by the existence of nuclear weapons, Egypt called on the international community to engage seriously with this global risk.

Egypt called for the world to fulfill its responsibilities in ensuring the full implementation of the NPT’s commitments on nuclear disarmament, as one of the treaty’s core pillars.

The statement further noted that the 1995 decision by the NPT Review and Extension Conference to work toward establishing a zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East constitutes a clear international commitment.

Egypt emphasized that implementing this decision is an essential component of the agreement to indefinitely extend the NPT, and is crucial to preserving the treaty’s credibility.