Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday his country does not support a military escalation in regional tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, adding the region already faces enough crises. Daily Mail reports in its article Egypt's Sisi urges caution in Iran-Saudi crisis that Sisi spoke at a wide ranging press conference in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh where he addressed regional disputes and his country's efforts to tackle jihadist attacks and economic reforms.
His comments came as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned Saudi Arabia not to test Tehran. "I am not for war. We have had our experience with war," Sisi said when asked about Egypt's stance. "The region faces enough turmoil already. We should approach it (the tensions) extremely cautiously." But Sisi, who is closely allied with Saudi Arabia, reiterated his support for the Gulf monarchy.
Rouhani warned Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that it will achieve nothing by threatening the might of Iran. "You know the might and place of the Islamic republic. People more powerful than you have been unable to do anything against the Iranian people," Rouhani said. His comments came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accused Iran of delivering missiles to Yemeni rebels for use against targets in the kingdom. Iran strongly denied supplying any missiles to the rebels saying that it would have been impossible to do so in any case in the face of a Saudi-led air and sea blockade.
Regarding the economy, which saw record inflation after Egypt floated the pound last year, Sisi said the government would take measures to bring prices down. The former field marshal is popular among many Egyptians who say the country needs a firm hand after years of tumult. But he faces growing criticism over a security crackdown on dissidents, both Islamist and secular.
