USA · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
Marco Rubio Waives Human Rights Conditions On $320 Million Military Aid To Egypt
U.S. exempted about $320 million in Egypt military aid from human rights conditions. State Department cited Egypt's 'useful role' and national security interests regarding Iran.
Whether Egypt’s “helpful role” is spelled out.
5 of 6 outlets skipped it: egypt was a key mediator between the US and Iran.
19outlets compared
Same story, two versions
tap a side to read it in full
ABC News
“Egypt has been a key mediator between the U.S. and Iran in the efforts to wind down”Read the original ↗
Middle East Monitor
“The State Department memorandum did not specify the nature of Egypt’s ‘helpful’ role.”Read the original ↗
ABC News clarifies Egypt mediated US-Iran talks, while Middle East Monitor stresses the State Department gave no specifics.
Rubio waives Egypt conditions
Secretary of State Marco Rubio waived human rights-related conditions on $320 million in U.S. military aid to Egypt, clearing the way for the funds to be released as Washington sought to strengthen security cooperation with Cairo amid the war on Iran. The State Department said Rubio approved the exemption “in the national security interest of the United States,” and the department linked the decision to Egypt’s “useful role” in the war with Iran since the conflict began earlier this year.
“Rubio approved the exemption ‘in the national security interest of the United States.’”
The State Department said the $320 million is part of an annual U.S. contribution of $1.3 billion in economic and military aid to Egypt, and it is allocated to foreign military financing for recipient nations to purchase U.S.-produced weaponry. The State Department also said it would continue to raise human rights issues as part of its dialogue with Egypt “across the full range of topics in our bilateral relationship,” even as it removed the specific restriction for fiscal year 2025.
Memo cites counterterrorism
A State Department memo attached to the decision described the waived portion of military aid as “necessary for counterterrorism programs, border security, or nonproliferation, or otherwise important to U.S. national security interests.” The memo, signed by Rubio, said “the exercise of waiving authority is necessary for the relationship between the United States and Egypt and for American national security priorities,” especially in light of Egypt’s “useful role” following Operation Epic Fury.
The U.S. military uses the name “Majestic Rage” for the war on Iran, which Washington launched in late February with Israel, and the memo did not specify the nature of the Egyptian role described as “helpful.” The decision came in a letter dated September 21 addressed by Rubio to congressional committees, and the State Department later confirmed the waiver’s validity.
Human rights dispute persists
Human rights organizations have long accused President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government of abuses including torture and enforced disappearance, and the State Department decision did not remove those broader concerns from the bilateral agenda. The State Department said the waiver decision “underscores the importance of maintaining security cooperation with Egypt at a time when the region faces significant security challenges,” while the Egyptian Foreign Ministry had not yet issued a statement as of the Reuters account.
“The United States has now suspended these conditions.”
The Biden administration previously waived restrictions and released the full $1.3 billion allocation in 2024 after the escalation of the Gaza conflict and Egypt’s role in regional diplomacy, and the latest waiver was described as coming amid economic pressure linked to the wider regional conflict. The decision also followed earlier episodes in which the United States blocked hundreds of millions of dollars in cash aid, along with tanks, helicopters, missiles, and combat aircraft, after the Egyptian army ousted Mohamed Morsi in 2013.