The United States has waived a human rights condition attached to $320 million in military financing for Egypt, saying continued security cooperation with Cairo serves US national interests amid the conflict with Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the determination for funds allocated under the 2025 fiscal year. A letter dated 21 September notified congressional committees of the decision, according to Reuters, which obtained the correspondence. The State Department subsequently confirmed the waiver. (reuters.com)
The decision removes a requirement for the US government to certify that Egypt has met specified human rights conditions before this portion of the aid can proceed. It does not establish that Egypt met those conditions, and it does not remove every restriction that may apply to US assistance.
Why Washington granted the waiver
A State Department memorandum dated 4 September described Egypt’s role following the start of the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran as helpful. It said the waiver was important to the relationship between Washington and Cairo and to US national security priorities.
The memorandum did not explain precisely what Egypt had done. The State Department said the two countries’ security cooperation was particularly important during regional instability. It also said it would continue discussing human rights with the Egyptian government. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment when Reuters sought a response. (reuters.com)
The distinction matters: the administration has justified its decision on security grounds, while leaving the specific contribution it cited largely undescribed in the publicly reported documents. Egypt has previously played a prominent part in diplomacy over Gaza. Its reported role concerning the Iran conflict is less clearly set out in this waiver.
What the $320 million covers
The money is part of US Foreign Military Financing, a programme that helps partner countries purchase American defence equipment. Egypt has received about $1.3 billion a year in US military assistance for decades, following its 1979 peace treaty with Israel. The $320 million is a portion of that broader allocation, subject to a separate human rights condition. (reuters.com, apnews.com)
Congress allows the secretary of state to set aside that certification requirement on national security grounds. The justification accompanying Rubio’s determination referred to counterterrorism, border security and non-proliferation, as well as wider US security interests. The waiver concerns funds from the 2025 financial year; the announcement this week does not mean Congress has approved an additional $320 million in new aid for 2026.
Nor does the announcement specify a delivery date for equipment or identify particular purchases. Its immediate significance is the decision to let the financing move forward without the rights certification that would otherwise apply to this portion of the funding.
Human rights concerns remain
US military assistance to Egypt has long prompted debate in Washington. Previous administrations withheld some funding over rights concerns, while also invoking security waivers at other times. In 2024, the Biden administration waived conditions on assistance to Egypt, citing its role in efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. The latest decision again gives security cooperation greater weight in the determination over this funding. (reuters.com, apnews.com)
Human rights organisations continue to raise concerns about arrests, detention conditions and restrictions on peaceful criticism in Egypt. In its 2026 country report on Egypt, Human Rights Watch documented allegations of enforced disappearance, torture and harassment of journalists and rights defenders. These are the organisation’s findings, rather than a determination made by the US in announcing this waiver. (hrw.org)
Egyptian authorities have said they are taking steps to address rights concerns. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has also argued that stability and meeting people’s basic needs are central to his government’s approach. Those positions have not ended criticism from rights groups or the recurring dispute in Washington over conditions on military aid. (reuters.com)
What remains unclear
The publicly reported memorandum, offers no detailed account of Egypt’s assistance during the Iran conflict. It is also unclear from the announcement when the financing will be used or what equipment, if any, will ultimately be purchased with it.
For now, the confirmed change is a decision about the conditions on this $320 million: Washington will allow the military financing to proceed on national security grounds without certifying that Egypt satisfied the specified human rights requirements. The State Department says it will continue raising those concerns with Cairo, but has not announced a new rights measure alongside the waiver. (reuters.com, apnews.com)
