Egypt–United States relations

Egypt and the United States began their formal relationship in 1922, after Egypt gained independence from the United Kingdom. Over the years, the connection between these two countries has been shaped mainly by important events in the Middle East, like the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and efforts in Counterterrorism.

The United States has also been involved in supporting leaders in Egypt, such as Hosni Mubarak and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. This support became a topic of discussion, especially after the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Many people in Egypt have expressed concerns about how their country is governed, and these concerns have affected the relationship between the two nations.

Today, Egypt and the United States continue to work together on many issues, but they also face challenges due to different views on governance and human rights in Egypt. Understanding this relationship helps us see how countries interact and influence each other in a complex world.

History

Background

The United States did not have much contact with Egypt when it was ruled by the Ottoman Empire and later by Britain. President Ulysses S. Grant visited Egypt during his trip around the world. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1956–1970) often opposed the United States because of his support for the Soviet Union and his strong views against Israel. However, the United States helped keep him in power by persuading Britain and France to end their invasion in 1956. The United States has supported leaders in Egypt who worked with US and Israeli interests, especially Presidents Anwar Sadat (1970–1981) and Hosni Mubarak (1981–2011).

From 1948 to 2011, the United States gave Egypt about $71.6 billion in aid. This was the most aid given to any country during that time, except for Israel.

1950s and 1960s

The Egyptian Revolution of 1952 did not change relations with the United States right away, and the US continued to give aid. The United States was worried about Soviet influence in the Middle East because of the region's oil. The US wanted to create a defense group like NATO in the area, centered on Egypt.

American leaders were torn between supporting their allies in Europe and winning over leaders from the Third World who disliked European control. The US tried to get countries in the area to work together against the Soviets but had little success. In 1953, Egyptian leader Nasser turned down a request to join an anti-Soviet group, even though the US offered him $3 million. He preferred an Arab defense group led by Egypt.

The US was concerned when Egypt got closer to the Soviet Union. In 1956, Egypt recognized Communist China, so the US stopped talks about funding the Aswan Dam. When Egypt took control of the Suez Canal, a big conflict called the Suez Crisis happened. The United States helped force Britain and France to stop fighting and pulled them out of Egypt. This briefly improved relations, but tensions rose again when Egypt bought weapons from the Soviet Union and turned down a US plan to control fighting between Arabs and Israelis. This led the US to send weapons to Israel in 1965.

In 1967, a war called the Six-Day War happened. Egypt broke off ties with the United States and worked more with the Soviet Union.

1973–2011

Relations stayed poor through the early 1970s. After Nasser died, his successor Anwar Sadat began talking with the United States about making peace with Israel. This led to the Camp David Accords and a peace treaty in 1979. Sadat worked to improve Egypt's economy with help from the United States.

During the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, the United States asked Egypt's leader to make changes and respect people's rights. Relations got worse when Egyptian forces raided offices of groups that help with democracy. The United States threatened to stop aid money but later the two countries started to fix their relationship.

Since 1987, Egypt has received about $1.3 billion in military aid each year from the United States.

Military cooperation

Egypt and the United States have worked closely together on military matters. After making peace with Israel, Egypt became one of the largest recipients of military aid from the United States. This aid helped Egypt become a strong military power in Africa and the Middle East.

The United States has provided billions of dollars in military and economic aid to Egypt over many years. This support is meant to help keep important routes open, like the Suez Canal, which is vital for international trade and for moving ships between different oceans. However, there have been concerns about human rights in Egypt, and some groups have asked the United States to be careful about sending military aid while these issues remain unresolved.

Counterterrorism

The United States and Egypt have also worked together to fight terrorism. Egypt supported the United States after the attacks on September 11, 2001, but chose not to send soldiers to Afghanistan or Iraq. Egypt believes it is important to wait for a proper government in Iraq before getting involved in rebuilding the country.

Even though there have been some disagreements, the two countries have shared important information and helped each other with security efforts, especially in areas near the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip.

Resident diplomatic missions

• Egypt has an embassy in Washington, D.C. and consulates-general in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York City.
• The United States has an embassy in Cairo.