The Egyptians are the so-called kings of deception, manipulating everyone for their own interests and to achieve their goals.
For 40 years, the Americans have wanted Egypt to reveal its relationship with North Korea, and Egypt refused, even when it announced that Egypt had halted its weapons programs with North Korea. The Americans recently demanded that Egypt reveal its relationship, and Egypt, of course, refused.
Everything being said about Russian fighter jets and the halted deals will reveal that Egypt has not yielded to America.
Even Israel's announcement that Egypt wants to purchase a batch of MIG-35 fighter jets, there are rumors that Egypt has already signed a deal with the Russians to compensate for the losses of its MIG-29 aircraft, whether in Sudan or for testing. The Russians are supplying some of these aircraft as compensation, in compliance with Russian contracts they signed regarding the freedom to integrate non-Russian weapons into Egyptian aircraft.
China's relationship with China dates back to the 1970s. When we talk about a deal like the HQ-9B/18, these are normal matters. As an Egyptian, I own more than 40 HT-200 radars. It may be a local factory. Has it been decommissioned due to the retirement of most SA-2 systems, or has it been used as an integral part of newer systems after being upgraded? Egypt also wants large numbers of long-range batteries at an affordable cost. The Russian S-300V4 battery costs no less than $250 million, and perhaps $300 million after the radical upgrades requested by Egypt, while the Chinese systems cost $130 million. China has always been flexible in local manufacturing, especially for a country like Egypt, which wants large numbers that are economically feasible for manufacturing.
Egypt manages its relationship with the Russians and the Chinese with other matters. Egypt arms countries like Sudan, Somalia, and even Eritrea, as well as some African countries, in exchange for payment in gold to the Russians and the Chinese, outside the framework of SWIFT systems and international banking controls. This further complicates matters. Is America an ally of Egypt?
Former Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman declared that America is an enemy and that we deal with it with the logic of postponing the conflict. We are not drawn into a conflict, as some want, for the benefit of other parties, but only for the interests of Egypt. Therefore, Egypt is doing so. By calming the situation and not paying attention to America and its arms restrictions, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Many American weapons are being developed locally through companies and deals with intermediary companies and countries, because the alternative is to dismantle half of the systems and use them as spare parts for the outdated systems until they are out of service.
The noise being made—Egypt wants the J-10C or JH-7A H, the J-16, the J-35, and even the J-20—is to confuse the real deal, as well as pressure messages.
The West has suspended its arms contracts with Egypt since 2021. The Americans are the first to know the Egyptian reaction. In 2011, the United States and the West implemented an arms embargo on Egypt. The Egyptian response was ballistic missile deals with China and Russia, and an increase in Russian weapons stockpiles in Egypt. The same thing happened in 2013.
The United States is a servant of Israel's expansion plans. Will Egypt accept that? Of course not. Therefore, when Trump howls about aid, Egypt doesn't care about it. It doesn't compare to the Egyptian economy, but simply doesn't announce its arms sales so that it doesn't get damaged. Pumping more weapons into Israel. The United States is arming Israel with the illusion of Israeli superiority as a deterrent message. Egypt has had good opportunities during the truce period from 1979 until the following period, from October 7, 2023. These are all opportunities for Egypt to increase its military capabilities.
Over the course of a year and a half, Egypt has gradually revealed the beginning of a massive buildup of old weapons and the development of old weapons. Everything presented to the media is only what is permitted. The United States does not release divisions, brigades, and armies for display except after numerous written approvals, and it does not display real capabilities.
Egypt is conveying to the Americans that Egypt does not arouse suspicion, and that it is merely protecting its borders. It is also concerned that the war in Gaza does not cease on all fronts, because this will erode Israel, no matter how much Western support it receives. It is no longer suitable economically or militarily. The ongoing exhaustion makes Egypt concerned that no truce occurs.
Therefore, Egypt's strikes between Yemen and Israel, and even the losses they cause to the Egyptian economy, are seen as another matter: putting Israel under constant pressure and strikes. It cannot even stabilize for a moment until its end in 2028.
So, calm and any conflict between Iran and Israel and Turkey and Israel encourages Egypt because it is a loss for both parties and a benefit for Egypt, which postpones the conflict for as long as possible. It also weakens all regional rivals. Two years ago, I spoke about Egypt's regional enemies: Israel, Ethiopia, Turkey, and Iran.
Ethiopia has been besieged and destroyed from within by civil wars that will not stop. At any time, Egypt could destroy its dams, which are also being destroyed by corruption in the design and implementation processes. The Italians have made it easy to buy them, and they have also cut off Africa's influence in the Horn of Africa.
Iran and Turkey are now almost besieged and want to cooperate with Egypt, and Egypt obtains from them what benefits it economically and militarily. It will not stand with any of them in any conflict. They are neither allies nor friends, but only cooperation out of necessity.
Israel, in its illusion of expansion, has an extremely exhausted and threatened army. They are fools who do not possess the real capacity even for expansion.
Even the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Emirates, who work as servants to Israel, Egypt has cornered them and ruined their economic projects, such as the India-Israel corridor. It has turned them into illusions, even when they were working on them, because Egypt has provided ready-made, cheaper alternatives. It has even made China realize that Egypt's support is beneficial to its economic projects and the Belt and Road Initiative, as it is the most important maritime corridor for its trade with Europe. Therefore, economic and military cooperation with Egypt is more important. From any country in the Middle East, because it is important to the Chinese economy, Egypt can benefit from the current trade wars. Products sold at a low cost are the result of wars. For example, if Egypt wanted to develop a local airline, it could purchase Boeing aircraft, which China rejects, at a low price. The blockade on the Russians provided Egypt with wheat at good prices and with favorable facilities for Egypt, Sudan, and Libya. Expelling the Russians from Syria has benefited Egypt from Russia's armaments, and also gradually eliminating the Western presence in Libya. Quietly, Egypt is doubling its capabilities from all available international sources. Trump and America are a vocal phenomenon. They want to show that they are the ones who carry out their will. For 12 years, the Egyptians have been developing parts of the F-16 fighter jet locally, and there was a delegation from the American company Lockheed Martin. The Americans said, "We cannot force you not to develop, but you should not announce it. You are free to do what you want with your equipment as long as it is not marketed outside Egypt."
