Egypt on high alert amidst Iran and Israel escalation
Egypt has executed nationwide drills of its air defence systems and placed its military on high alert amidst fears that the unprecedented Iran-Israel conflict may spill over into a wider regional war, according to The National on June 15th.
Top Egyptian government officials are holding a series of emergency meetings to discuss and implement measures that would guarantee the maintenance of adequate reserves of food, fuel, and various essential commodities for the import-dependent nation.
This was prompted by concerns that the escalation between Iran and Israel risks triggering major disruptions to global supply chains. Fears of a wider regional conflict has already destabilised Egypt’s economy as its currency has weakened and the stock market recorded its biggest drop in five years on June 15th.
Egypt and Israel share a land border along the eastern edge of the Sinai peninsula. On numerous occasions since the beginning of the Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, missiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen aimed at Israel have deviated from their intended trajectory and landed in Egyptian territory. Material damage has been recorded, but no fatalities.
Sources told The National that Egypt’s military combat units deployed in the Sinai peninsula have been put on maximum alert, with all others have been ordered to go on high alert.
This preparation is in reaction to Israel’s unprecedented attack on Iran on June 13th which killed a number of senior Iranian military leaders and damaged nuclear and military infrastructure. Iran quickly retaliated with missile and drone strikes of their own which killed and injured many in Israel. It has been made clear by both nations that attacks will continue.
Egypt’s air defence systems are being tested in almost all 27 provinces.
One source said that “the exercise was designed to see if there are any gaps in the nationwide coverage by the air defences,” without explicitly outlining what the drills entailed.
The critical juncture in Middle-Eastern stability which has prompted the heightened state of alert has come at a time where Cairo’s and Israel’s relations are at their worst due to the war on Gaza. Conversely, Egyptian relations with Iran are rapidly improving.
Relations plummeted with Israel in May 2024 when the IDF seized the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing and a narrow buffer zone which lined the Gaza-Egypt boundary.
Iran and Egypt have frequently consulted each other on regional issues, steadily building a good rapport which led to Cairo allowing millions of Iranian pilgrims to visit its religious shrines.
Al-Azhar university in Egypt strongly condemned Israel’s attack on Iran in a significant symbolic gesture.
Al Azhar said on June 14th that “this aggression constitutes a flagrant violation of state sovereignty and infringement of international law, as well as a direct threat to regional and international peace and security.”
Egypt is attentively monitoring the potential ramifications of continuing escalations, in particular the risk that the Strait of Hormuz or Bab al-Mandab will be closed by Iran in retaliation, a move which would severely inhibit the global supply chain.
The Suez canal, which is a key source of foreign currency for the cash-strapped nation, would effectively obstruct the two shipping lanes and jeopardise Cairo’s fuel supplies and other oil-based imports.
The government announced that Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has consulted central bank governor Hassan Abdullah and Finance Minister Ahmed Kajouk on how “strategic reserves” can be increased.
The “ramifications of the military events in the region” were also discussed between Mr Madbouly and Egypt’s ministers of oil and electricity in a separate meeting.
Due to the fragile security situation, Israel has suspended its natural gas exports to Egypt. This risks disrupting Egypt’s power generation capacity which is largely fueled using gas. Egypt is already preparing for a surge in energy demand has summer temperatures begin to climb.
As recently as 2023, Egypt had to introduce rolling power cuts to ration the limited electricity supply. This prompted a disruptive level of civil unrest which was last swept the nation when President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi took office in 2014.
The Egyptian atomic agency has defused concerns amongst citizens regarding the possibility of radiation leaks from Iranian nuclear infrastructure which was damaged by Israeli airstrikes.
In a statement, it said “there are no indications of a change or a rise in radiation levels. We are monitoring round-the-clock the developments related to the situation at nuclear facilities in the region.”
Egypt has long been surrounded by nearby regional conflicts: The Libyan civil war following the killing of Gaddafi in 2011; the outbreak of war in Sudan in 2023 which has prompted the migration of 1.5 million refugees across Egypt’s southern border; and Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
This will likely be compounded by the rapid escalation between Iran and Israel, which may threaten to exacerbate an already precarious domestic situation.
Egyptian authorities are attempting to prevent hundreds of foreign pro-Palestinian humanitarian activists who from marching towards the Gaza border to show solidarity with Palestinians.
Security forces have already detained over 200 activists upon their arrival at Cairo airport, with some being arrested and others released. Almost 280 other activists were detained outside the city of Ismailia on the Suez Canal. Riot police obstructed the activists from proceeding towards Rafah, leading to a standoff which continued over the weekend.
According to security officials, the activists were being transported to Cairo airport from which they were being deported.
It is estimated that 2,000 activists have travelled to Egypt to participate in the 50km march from the city of El Arish to Rafah.
The National, Maghrebi.org
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