The head of the international security department at the US State Department said on Friday that the US has agreed to an Egyptian request demanding all countries in the Middle East to sign up to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) when the Iranian nuclear file is referred to the UN Security Council.

He told the Egyptian television that Egypt and US saw eye to eye on the importance of making the Middle East free from weapons of mass destruction. He revealed that the US was trying now to head off a nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan.