US Oks More Than $5B in Military Sales to Egypt

The equipment includes 555 US-made M1A1 Abrams tanks operated by Egypt, $630 million in 2,183 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, and $30 million in precision-guided munitions. Egypt has become an increasingly close partner in mediating the Gaza crisis despite serious human rights concerns. US President Joe Biden took office in 2021 vowing a harder line on Egypt over human rights concerns under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but his administration has repeatedly gone ahead with arms deals with Egypt. The US Congress can still block the sales, but such attempts are usually unsuccessful. Cairo is one of the largest recipients of US security aid since its peace treaty with Israel in 1979 (Read more at Defense Post).