The United States has restored military cooperation with Egypt, releasing over $300 million in military aid. The Egyptian Ministry of Defence recently received a new CH-47F Chinook helicopter as part of this cooperation. This development comes after the US State Department requested Congress to unfreeze $320 million in military aid that had been suspended. The release of this aid is seen as a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.
According to a memo sent to congressional committees, the US State Department decided to exempt Egypt from human-rights requirements linked to $320 million in foreign military sales funding for fiscal year 2025. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent an official notification to Congress requesting an exemption from this suspension, citing the strategic nature of relations between the two countries and Egypt's importance in the Middle East region.
The $320 million in military aid is equivalent to almost one-third of the total annual aid paid by the US to Egypt, estimated at $1.3 billion. An informed Egyptian source confirmed that Rubio's decision reflected the depth of the strategic relationship between Cairo and Washington and reaffirmed Egypt's pivotal diplomatic role in the region. This move is part of ongoing coordination between the two countries to bolster regional security and stability.
The US administration justified the decision with considerations related to national security and the importance of military cooperation with Egypt in light of regional security challenges. The memo referred to Egypt's "useful role" following the launch of the US war against Iran. A State Department spokesman said Rubio waived the certification in the interest of US security, recognising the importance of maintaining security cooperation with Egypt.
Egyptian national security and political experts said the US decision to release the $320 million in military aid followed a period in which Cairo had deepened defence ties with China, Russia, France, and others. They stressed that the move underscores the importance of Washington's military partnership with Egypt, particularly amid conflicts and crises across the Middle East. Cairo University professor of political science Tarek Fahmy noted that America's military aid to Egypt is part of a longstanding security relationship that has been in place since the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979.
Fahmy said the relationship between Egypt and the US is of a strategic nature, with some disagreements on issues of human rights, democracy, and liberalism related to the conflict between Democrats and Republicans in the US. He added that Egypt has been trying to mediate between Washington and Tehran throughout the conflict. National security expert Mohamed Abdel-Wahed noted that this is not the first time a US administration has decided to waive human-rights conditions in favour of unfreezing military aid to Egypt.
The release of the $320 million in military aid demonstrates the enduring military and security relationship between Washington and Cairo. According to a recent report, Egypt has diversified its sources of armaments, obtaining military technologies from Russia, China, France, Germany, and Italy. This decision is mainly based on US national security interests and Egypt's role in the region, as outlined in the US strategy issued in December 2025 and the Pentagon strategy in January 2026.
Key points
- The US has released $320 million in military aid to Egypt, restoring cooperation between the two nations.
- The aid release is part of a longstanding security relationship between the US and Egypt that has been in place since the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979.
- Egypt has diversified its sources of armaments, obtaining military technologies from multiple countries, including Russia, China, France, Germany, and Italy.
