"A threat to the security of the Gulf countries is a threat to Egypt," Elbadri said.
On March 27, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi told Saudi Arabia's King Salman that security in the Gulf was a "red line" and a key part of Egypt's national security. The statement was made after Egypt joined a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states fighting the Yemeni Houthi opposition faction that has seized large areas of the country.
"Egypt is committed to the security of the Gulf, not in an aggressive way, but we are committed to the defense of the Gulf because this is where our national security begins," Elbadri reiterated to Sputnik.
Speaking on the subject of ongoing talks over Iran's disputed nuclear program, the Egyptian envoy urged patience ahead of the final deal between the six world powers and Tehran anticipated by July 1.
"We need to wait and see how it unfolds," he told Sputnik, adding that security concerns in the Gulf "have to be respected."
Egypt proposed the creation of a Weapons of Mass Destruction-free zone in the Middle East in 1990. Five years later, similar calls were voiced at a Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.
Sectarian tensions in the region simmered over the past month as both Saudi Arabia and Iran have projected power in Gulf and Yemeni waters.
