Rubio unlocks $320 million in military aid for Egypt

America’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio, approved the waiver, but argued that Washington’s concerns over the human rights record of its Middle East ally will remain a talking point in full bilateral discussions.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has lifted a restriction on $320 million (284.4 million euros) in military aid for Egypt, previously suspended over human rights concerns, citing Cairo’s help in relations with Iran since the conflict began earlier this year.

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that Rubio had approved the waiver “in the interest of U.S. national security”.

“The Secretary’s determination reflects the importance of Egypt to U.S. national security interests and the concrete security cooperation Egypt provides to the United States”, the department said.

In a letter to lawmakers, Rubio cited, in particular, Egypt’s “helpful role” in the war with Iran. Egypt has been a key mediator between the U.S. and Iran in efforts to resolve the conflict, which has lasted more than seven months.

The State Department asserted that the Trump administration will continue to raise human rights issues as part of its dialogue with Egypt “on the full range of issues in our bilateral relationship”.

“The waiver decision recognises the importance of maintaining security cooperation with Egypt at a time of significant regional security challenges”, the department said.

The $320 million is part of an annual U.S. contribution of $1.3 billion (1.16 billion euros) in economic and military aid for Egypt. More specifically, it is foreign military financing, which provides recipient countries with money to buy U.S.-made weapons.

Congress introduced the requirement because of concerns about Egypt’s human rights record, which many experts consider problematic. The State Department itself in recent years has noted credible reports of torture, arbitrary arrests, child labour and harsh restrictions on freedom of expression.

But granting Egypt an exemption has become routine for both Republican and Democratic administrations. The Biden administration, for example, last issued an exemption in September 2024, citing Egypt’s help in U.S. efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.