A huge sale is likely to happen despite ongoing concerns about the Egyptian government’s human rights abuses.
The US State Department has approved the possible sale of arms worth more than $5 billion to Egypt.
The State Department told Congress on Friday that it was planning to sell $4.69 billion in equipment for 555 U.S.-made M1A1 Abrams tanks operated by Egypt, as well as $630 million for Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and $30 million for precision-guided missile munitions.
A statement released that day said the sale would support U.S. “foreign policy and national security” by helping to improve the security of a “major” non-NATO ally that serves as a key strategic partner in the Middle East East acted.
Egypt and the US have been working ever closer together since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, with Cairo playing a role in negotiating a ceasefire.
The agreements come despite ongoing concerns in Washington over the Egyptian government’s poor human rights record under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Human rights group Amnesty estimates that around 60,000 political prisoners are currently being held in Egypt, including British-Egyptian activists Alaa Abd El-Fattahjailed for “spreading false news” after sharing a Facebook post about alleged police brutality.
Egypt has pardoned hundreds of political prisoners in the last two years. But human rights groups have said at least three times that many were arrested during the same period.
Major US aid recipient
US President Joe Biden took office in 2021 promising a tougher stance against Egypt on human rights concerns, but his administration has agreed to several arms deals.
In 2022, his government approved this sale Delivery of 12 Super Hercules C-130 transport aircraft and air defense radar systems to Egypt, worth an estimated $2.5 billion.
The State Department’s notice to Congress of the latest possible sale did not indicate that a contract had been signed or negotiations had been completed.
The proposed sale would “not change the fundamental military balance in the region,” the statement said, adding that transactions related to the Abrams tanks would take up to a decade to implement.
The US Congress can still block the sale, but such attempts are usually unsuccessful.
Cairo has been one of the largest recipients of American security assistance since the peace treaty with Israel in 1979. The largest recipient is Israel.
