MENA - The Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr. said in a TV interview on Friday that Egypt is one of the most important countries in the United States Central Command (CENTCOM)’s area of responsibility. He added that Egypt occupies a key point in the eastern part at the central command responsibility as it controls the Suez Canal where the US ships have no any security issues when passing through the canal.

McKenzie paid a one-day visit to Egypt on February 22, 2021, when he met with President Abdel Fatah El Sisi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Lieutenant General Mohamed Farid Hegazy and U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Arab Republic of Egypt Jonathan R. Cohen. “My visit here came as an opportunity to have great knowing with the Chief of Defense and had an opportunity to spend a lot of time with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi,” he said, adding that their meeting has underlined the important military relationship between the two countries.

McKenzie also praised cooperation between Egypt’s air forces and the Egyptian civil Aviation Authority with the United States. Additionally, he said that Egypt is a key member of the international coalition against terrorism for many years.

Commenting on his latest warning of Daesh militants’ presence, McKenzie said that his definition of “the defeat of Daesh is that when local security forces can handle the local pockets of terrorists that continue to arise, but the future will not be without terrorists and whatever organization follows them. There will not be a bloodless future either, unfortunately. However, what we want do is be able to empower the local security forces to do their work.”

“Daesh in North Sinai is an example of where they can arise in uncontrolled conditions but I think Egypt has responded very reasonably and very smartly towards these challenges,” he continued. He also said that Iran is the greatest threat to the CENTCOM in region, adding that it is exporting weapons and making the ballistic missiles, wishing it could change to be a responsible member.

McKenzie continued that the Central Command is working with allies to improve the military air defense against Iranian ballistic missiles.