President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has called for a "comprehensive strategy" to tackle the roots of extremism across the Middle East.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Saturday, Sisi said Egyptians had realized the danger of "political Islam" and that if he had not acted, the Arab world's most populous nation would have faced a "civil war".
Bloodshed is now seen in Iraq and Syria, he pointed out.
"I warned about the great danger a year ago," he said. "But it was not clear (to others) until the events in Iraq and the Islamic State's sweep" over much of that country.
Asked about the possibility of sending troops to Iraq, Sisi said that Iraq's military is strong enough to fight the militants and "it's not a matter of ground troops from abroad."
He said it was "very important" to stop foreign extremists from joining militant groups in Syria and Iraq, warning that they will return to their home nations, including in Europe.