El-Sisi stresses Gulf security concerns must be reflected in any Iran deal

NICOSIA – 24 April 2026: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi affirmed the need for any Iran deal to take into account the security concerns of the Arab Gulf nations, rejecting Iranian attacks on Arab nations as “unacceptable under any circumstances.”

Speaking at a consultative meeting with Arab, European and EU leaders in Nicosia, Cyprus, on Friday, El-Sisi stressed that the security of Arab countries is an integral part of Egypt’s national security.

The Iranian crisis has cast a dark shadow over the international landscape as a whole, El-Sisi said.

He noted serious repercussions for regional stability, maritime navigation, and the global economy, particularly energy and food security and prices, as well as disruptions to supply chains.

The crisis has also raised the potential risk of nuclear contamination, which in itself would constitute a catastrophe, the president warned.

Egypt’s Position

"Egypt has been, and continues to be, keen to exert intensive efforts to contain the conflict and prevent its escalation, particularly in light of the reprehensible and, under no circumstances acceptable, Iranian attacks targeting the Arab Gulf states, as well as Jordan and Iraq," the president said.

Egypt reaffirms its full condemnation and categorical rejection of these attacks, and of any threats to the security of Arab countries, he added.

He underscored Egypt’s position that a political path remains the only acceptable way out of the current regional escalation and the only means to achieve sustainable stability.

El-Sisi also stressed the imperative of full adherence to freedom of navigation and the importance of securing international maritime routes, as these constitute a well-established and enduring principle of international law.

Egypt further affirms that recent developments have left no doubt that the peaceful settlement of disputes is no longer a matter of choice but a necessity, El-Sisi said.

It also underscores the need to establish a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, alongside the full and non-selective implementation of the nuclear non-proliferation regime across the region, he added.