US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the release of $320 million in military assistance to Egypt that had been withheld over concerns about the country’s human rights record, The Associated Press reported.
The State Department said Thursday that Rubio authorized the waiver “in the interest of US national security." The department said the decision reflects “the importance of Egypt to US national security interests, and the concrete security cooperation Egypt provides to the United States."
In a letter to lawmakers obtained by AP, Rubio specifically pointed to Egypt’s “helpful role" in the conflict with Iran. Cairo has served as an important intermediary in US-Iranian efforts to end the more than seven-month-old war.
The State Department said Washington would continue raising human rights concerns with Egypt as part of discussions covering “the full range of issues in our bilateral relationship." It added that the waiver reflects the need to preserve security cooperation with Cairo amid major regional security challenges.
The $320 million represents part of the $1.3 billion in annual US economic and military assistance provided to Egypt. The funds are allocated for foreign military financing, allowing recipient countries to purchase US-made weapons.
Congress imposed human rights-related conditions on the assistance amid concerns over Egypt’s record. In recent years, the State Department has cited credible reports involving torture, arbitrary arrests, child labor and restrictions on freedom of expression.
Despite those concerns, presidential administrations from both parties have regularly issued waivers allowing the assistance to proceed. The Biden administration granted the most recent waiver in September 2024, citing Egypt’s role in US efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
In 2022, the Biden administration withheld $130 million in military assistance after determining that Egypt had not met the conditions attached to the funding. Officials later reiterated that the same amount would be withheld over Cairo’s failure to satisfy certain human rights requirements.
US-Egyptian relations also deteriorated during the Obama administration after Washington suspended military assistance following the 2013 removal of former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. The aid was restored two years later.
Relations improved during Trump’s first term. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi praised Trump following his 2016 election and said he anticipated increased US engagement in the Middle East under the new administration.