The US State Department approves potential arms sales to Egypt worth $5 billion Military news

A massive sale is likely to take place despite ongoing concerns about human rights violations by the Egyptian government.

The US State Department has approved a potential arms deal to Egypt worth more than $5 billion.

The State Department informed Congress on Friday that it had approved the sale of $4.69 billion worth of equipment for 555 U.S.-made M1A1 Abrams tanks operated by Egypt, along with $630 million worth of Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and $30 million worth of precision-guided missiles. Ordnance.

In a statement issued that day, she said the sale would support US “foreign and national security policy” by helping to improve the security of a “key” non-NATO ally that served as an important strategic partner in the Middle East.

Egypt and the United States have worked increasingly closely since the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023, with Cairo playing a role in negotiating a ceasefire.

These deals come despite continuing concern in Washington about the Egyptian government’s poor human rights record under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Amnesty International estimates that Egypt currently holds about 60,000 political prisoners, including the British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattahwas jailed for “spreading fake news” after sharing a Facebook post about alleged police brutality.

During the past two years, Egypt issued an amnesty to hundreds of political prisoners. But human rights groups said at least three times that several of them had been arrested during the same period.

Major beneficiary of American aid

US President Joe Biden took office in 2021 pledging to take a tougher stance toward Egypt over human rights concerns, but his administration has approved several arms deals.

In 2022, his administration approved sale To Egypt: 12 Super Hercules C-130 transport aircraft and air defense radar systems with a total value estimated at $2.5 billion.

The State Department’s notification of the recent potential sale to Congress did not indicate that the contract had been signed or that negotiations had ended.

The proposed sale “will not change the fundamental military balance in the region,” the statement said, adding that deals related to Abrams tanks would take up to a decade to implement.

The US Congress can still block sales, but such attempts are usually unsuccessful.

Cairo is one of the largest beneficiaries of US security assistance since the peace treaty with Israel in 1979. The largest recipient is Israel.