Egypt puts military on high alert and tests air defence systems amid rising regional tensions
Egypt has put its armed forces on high alert and carried out nationwide drills of its air defence systems as fears grow of a broader Iran-Israel conflict, sources told The National.
Egypt 's top government officials are holding emergency meetings to decide on measures to ensure that the import-dependent nation of 106 million maintains adequate reserves of food, fuel and other essential commodities. The goal is to mitigate potential disruptions to global supply chains triggered by escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.
Egypt shares a border with Israel along the eastern edge of its Sinai peninsula. The most populous Arab nation has, on several occasions since the Gaza war erupted in 2023, seen projectiles fired by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen veering off course and landing on Egyptian territory. These incidents caused material damage but no fatalities.
The sources said that while the Egyptian military's combat units have been put on high alert nationwide, those deployed in the Sinai Peninsula were ordered to go on maximum alert.
The orders went out shortly after Israel's latest round of hostilities with Iran began on Friday, when Israel's first wave of strikes killed senior Iranian military leaders and damaged nuclear and military infrastructure.
Iran has responded with barrages of missiles and drones fired on Israel, killing three people and injuring scores, as both adversaries vowed more attacks.
The sources said the testing of Egypt's air defence systems involved nearly all of the nation's 27 provinces.
"The exercise was designed to see if there are any gaps in the nationwide coverage by the air defences," said one source. The source did not say what exactly was involved in the drills, but spoke of how they left "debris" on the ground across much of the nation.
The higher state of alert and the air defence drills come at a time when Cairo's relations with Israel are at their lowest point because of the Gaza war, now in its 21st month, while relations with Iran are rapidly improving.
Relations worsened significantly in May 2024 when Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing and a narrow buffer zone running the length of the Gaza-Egypt frontier.
Egypt is closely monitoring the potential consequences of further escalation, according to the sources, particularly the risk of Iran retaliating by closing the Strait of Hormuz or Bab Al-Mandab – both critical maritime chokepoints. The closure of either would effectively block access to the Suez Canal, a vital source of foreign currency for Egypt, and threaten the country's fuel supplies and oil-based imports.
A government statement said Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has discussed ways to increase the nation's "strategic reserves" of a range of goods with central bank governor Hassan Abdullah and Finance Minister Ahmed Kajouk.
Mr Madbouly held a separate meeting on Friday night with the ministers of oil and electricity to discuss the "ramifications of the military events in the region", the statement said, without providing further detail.
Israel has already suspended natural gas exports to Egypt due to the tenuous security situation arising from its conflict with Iran, according to media reports. The move could disrupt power generation in Egypt, where gas-fuelled stations supply much of the country's electricity. With summer temperatures already climbing, Egypt is bracing for a surge in energy demand.
Rolling power cuts as recently as 2023 produced a popular backlash in Egypt, including a level of potentially disruptive popular discontent not seen since President Abdel Fattah El Sisi took office in 2014.
Egypt's atomic agency on Saturday sought to reassure Egyptians on the possibility of radiation leaks from Iranian nuclear facilities damaged by Israeli air strikes.
"There are no indications of a change or a rise in radiation levels," it said in a statement. "We are monitoring round-the-clock the developments related to the situation at nuclear facilities in the region."
Surrounded by regional crises
Egypt has for years faced challenges from regional conflicts: Libya's civil war since 2011; Sudan's collapse into fighting in April 2023, which has sent 1.5 million refugees across Egypt's southern border; and the continuing war in Gaza.
Now, Egypt must prepare for handling a possible fallout from the tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran, all while facing a sensitive domestic situation.
Authorities are trying to prevent hundreds of foreign pro-Palestinian activists from marching towards Rafah, on the Gaza border, in a show of solidarity with Palestinians.
The government has stated that such actions require prior official authorisation. Security officials said around 200 activists have already been detained and deported upon arrival at Cairo airport.
Another 74 activists have been detained just outside the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, where a standoff continued Saturday between riot police and scores of activists prevented from proceeding east towards Rafah.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
23 minutes ago
- The National
Turkey leads global calls for Israel and Iran to step back from brink
World leaders have warned against further military escalations between Israel and Iran following two days of missile fire between the two countries. The exchange began when Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Friday, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists, and striking military bases, nuclear sites and residential areas across the country. Since then, Iran has unleashed a deadly barrage of missile strikes on Israel, leaving at least 10 Israelis dead and dozens more wounded. Leaders have been speaking to Iranian and Israeli officials and voiced their concerns in an attempt to defuse tensions, fearing a possible regional war. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also spoken to several top Arab leaders during the past 24 hours. Mr Erdogan told the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, that Israel was looking to 'drag the whole region into the fire'. He also told Mr Pezeshkian that Israel's attacks aimed to divert attention from the conflict in Gaza, a statement from the Turkish presidency said. In a separate phone call, Mr Erdogan told Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Israel needed 'to be stopped', calling it 'the main threat to stability and security in the region'. The issue of Iran's nuclear programme 'can only be resolved through negotiations', he said. Prince Mohammed separately spoke to Mr Pezeshkian on Saturday to offer his "condemnation and denunciation" of the attacks. He said the kingdom called for "dialogue as the fundamental principle for resolving differences". Mr Erdogan also spoke with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who said Israel's actions were "a blatant violation of international law and a threat to regional peace", according to his office. They also voiced solidarity with Palestine amid what they described as Israel's 'brazen military aggression,' which they said had continued 'with complete impunity.' Iraq meanwhile called on the US to prevent Israeli aircraft from breaching Iraqi airspace to carry out attacks against Iran, citing bilateral agreements and international law. 'The Iraqi government urges the United States to uphold its responsibilities under the agreements signed between the two countries and prevent aircraft belonging to [Israel] from once again violating Iraqi airspace,' military spokesman Sabah Al Numan said. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also spoke to Mr Pezeshkian on Saturday to express condemnation over the Israeli attack on Iran. A statement said Qatar considers the attacks a 'blatant violation of Iran's sovereignty and security, and a clear breach of the rules and principles of international law'. Israel carries out strikes on Iran – in pictures European reaction In Europe, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Sunday that Tehran's nuclear programme was a threat to the security of Israel and of Europe. However, he said diplomacy is the only way to avoid an escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran. "We always said the best way to prevent that threat, to contain it, remains diplomacy," Mr Barrot told RTL radio. The UK's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said on Saturday that the UK would deploy more RAF jets to the Middle East after Iran threatened to target British, French and US bases if the countries help stop strikes on Israel. Mr Starmer said further military assets are being deployed to provide 'contingency support' across the region amid escalating hostilities between the two long-time foes. He said that he wants to see a reduction in tensions in the region. 'My strong position is that this needs to de-escalate, and that is the primary focus of the discussions that I've been having,' he told reporters. Russian President Vladimir Putin meanwhile spoke to US President Donald Trump for 50 minutes on Saturday, focusing on hostilities between Israel and Iran and calling for efforts to bring them to an end. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Mr Putin condemned the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressed concern about the risks of escalation.
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Iran relocates museum artefacts following Israeli attacks
Iran has moved key historical artefacts from major museums to secure storage facilities across the country, according to a statement shared on social media by the official account of Iran Air. The decision follows recent Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. As there have been no reports of damage to museums or heritage sites in Iran, the relocation of artefacts appears to be a precautionary measure to safeguard the country's cultural heritage. 'In response to recent Israeli attacks on Iran, Iranian authorities have completed the emergency transfer of key historical artefacts from major museums to secure storage facilities across the country,' the account of Iran Air posted on X on Sunday. No further details about the transfer have been made public, and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has not issued an official statement. As such, the nature of the storage facilities, the timeline of the operation or the specific artefacts involved remain unclear. It is also currently not known if further measures will be announced in the coming days. Iran is home to some of the region's most significant museum collections, including those held by the National Museum of Iran and the Reza Abbasi Museum in Tehran. These institutions house archaeological material that dates back thousands of years, from Achaemenid and Sassanian empires to ceramics, textiles and illuminated manuscripts from the Islamic era. Israel's multi-pronged attack on Iran marks a sharp escalation in regional tensions. The strikes hit several cities, including the capital Tehran, killing several top generals and dozens of civilians. Iran has also carried out retaliatory strikes against Israel. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that the attacks on Israel will end once Israel halts its military campaign against the Islamic Republic. "We are defending ourselves; our defence is entirely legitimate," said Araghchi in a meeting with foreign diplomats. "This defence is our response to aggression. If the aggression stops, naturally our responses will also stop."
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
What happens if Israel intensifies attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure
An escalation of attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure could result in a further rise in oil prices, potential supply disruptions and hit countries reliant on Iranian oil, such as China, analysts said. In the first apparent attack to hit energy infrastructure, Iran partially suspended production at South Pars, the world's biggest gasfield, after an Israeli strike caused a fire there on Saturday, the country's semi-official Tasnim news agency said. The South Pars field, offshore in Iran's southern Bushehr province, is the source of most of the gas produced in Iran. While the South Pars gasfield and refineries have been attacked, 'production continues and the damage is not catastrophic yet, but we could see further escalation and strikes, which could annihilate Iran's capacity to tap into this energy field', said Nicolas Michelon, managing partner of Alagan Partners, a Dubai corporate geopolitics consultancy. The Shahran oil depot in Tehran was also targeted in an Israeli attack, Iran said, but added the situation was under control. 'The Shahran fuel and gasoline depot in Tehran, which is one of the largest gas depots in the city, stores enough fuel for about three days' worth of Tehran's fuel needs. This has been hit by Israeli air forces and possibly some sabotage as well by Mossad operatives on the ground,' he said. The Shahr Rey oil refinery in Tehran, one of the largest in Iran and vital for domestic fuel production, was also targeted. Fears about potential disruption to the region's oil exports drove up oil prices more than 7 per cent on Friday even though Israel did not attack Iran's hydrocarbon facilities on the first day. Israel and Iran continued intense bombardments on one another's territories for the third day, amid growing concerns over a wider conflict in one of the world's crucial oil-producing regions. 'From what we know so far, Israel's main targets have been Iranian nuclear and missile facilities and military personnel,' Vandana Hari, chief executive of Singapore-based Vanda Insights, told The National. 'Of course, it could end up deliberately or accidentally also hitting Iranian oil and gasfields and oil storages and export ports. Crippling a major source of the Islamic Republic's revenues would make it harder for it to rebuild its nuclear and missile capabilities.' But striking Iranian energy infrastructure may be a red line for the US. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar had also pressed Washington in October last year to lean on Israel to not target energy infrastructure for fear that their own sites may come under a retaliatory attack from Tehran, she added. 'I expect [US President Donald] Trump to intervene more assertively if he sees the Israel-Iran attacks starting to encroach on Iranian or regional oil infrastructure, as that could well be the tipping point for a wider regional conflagration and he is loath to higher oil prices.' Mr Michelon said potential future targets may include the Kharg oil terminal, which is where about 90 per cent of Iran's oil exports leave the country, mostly to China; the Abadan refinery, which produces fuel for about 25 per cent of Iran's domestic needs; and Mahshahr oil terminal, which is one of the country's main distribution hubs. If Israel strikes these sites, it would 'seriously disrupt' both domestic supply and global exports. It would cut off Iranian energy exports from crucial markets such as China, he warned. Further attacks to Iran's energy infrastructure could also have a direct impact on energy supply chains, Mr Michelon said. 'We must also consider the Strait of Hormuz, which is a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas trade. It could be threatened if Iran decides to retaliate by trying to block traffic,' he said. Cascading impact If the attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure continue and aggravate, that could also have a cascading effect on countries reliant on Iranian oil, particularly China. About 90 per cent of Iranian oil ends up in China, he said. Naeem Aslam, chief investment officer at Zaye Capital Markets, said the playbook points to Iran targeting Israeli energy infrastructure next. Oil prices could breach $120 if energy infrastructure gets hit, he added. Robert Mogielnicki, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, agreed that any escalatory actions affecting regional oil infrastructure and crucial energy trade routes could pressurise oil prices. Striking Iranian energy infrastructure may be a red line for the US Vandana Hari, chief executive, Vanda Insights 'Iran's oil facilities remain a potential target of future Israeli strikes in what [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu said could be a multiday battle. Any disruption to Iranian oil infrastructure would directly impact Iran's domestic fuel supply chain and Chinese customers, which are the primary buyers of Iranian crude oil exports,' he said. 'If the Israeli attacks provoke a steep rise in global oil prices, it will be felt far beyond Tehran and Beijing.' Mukesh Sahdev, global head of commodity markets – oil at Rystad Energy, said Iran itself is not the central issue; rather, it's caught in the 'geopolitical crossfire' between the US, Russia and China. The key to watch is how Russia and China respond, rather than Iran itself, he added. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the escalating crisis in a roughly hour-long phone call on Saturday. During the call, the Russian leader condemned Israel's military operation against Iran and voiced serious concern over a potential escalation that could have 'unpredictable consequences for the entire region', Russia's Tass news agency reported. However, the oil market overall is very supply resilient today, according to Norbert Ruecker, head of economics and next generation research at Swiss bank Julius Baer. Storage is ample in the western world and especially in China, which built extensive oil inventories over the past decade. Petro-nations such as Saudi Arabia also have plentiful spare production capacity, exceeding 5 per cent of global output, which they just began to bring back to the market, Mr Ruecker said.
