Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday publicly urged U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene and halt the ongoing war in the Gulf, stressing that only the U.S. leader could prevent further escalation. Speaking at the Egypt Energy Show 2026 in Cairo, Sisi highlighted the severe global consequences of continued conflict, including oil prices potentially exceeding $200 a barrel and disruptions to food and fertilizer supplies.
“I tell President Trump: nobody can stop the war in our region in the Gulf but you. Please, Mr. President, please. Please help us stop the war. You are capable of doing so,” Sisi said, emphasizing the urgent need for diplomatic action. Egypt, traditionally reliant on U.S. military aid and backed by wealthy Gulf states, has condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf Arab nations and actively pursued diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider regional war.
Sisi warned that targeting energy infrastructure, including production facilities and refineries, could trigger twin shocks of supply shortages and price hikes, with devastating repercussions for the global economy. He also cautioned that interruptions to fertilizer exports could cause a severe crisis for global food security, disproportionately affecting middle-income and fragile economies.
The Egyptian leader credited Trump with previously helping to end the war in Gaza, noting that he had stated at the time that only the U.S. president could halt the conflict before a ceasefire in Sharm el-Sheikh in November. Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi condemned Iran’s attacks on energy infrastructure and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a violation of international law and a direct threat to global energy supplies. GCC member states, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, have faced repeated drone and missile assaults, heightening fears of prolonged disruption to a corridor that handles roughly a fifth of the world’s oil shipments.
