Upon the launch of the U.S.-Israel offensive against Iran on February 28, 2026, and Iran’s attacks on its neighbors in the Gulf, Egypt has taken an unambiguous stance against the war and for compromise with Iran, calling for restraint on the part of the Arab countries attacked by it. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi even refrained from mentioning Iran by name in his statements regarding its attacks on the Gulf states, describing them as “infringement” on Arab “sovereignty” and stressing instead his country’s mediation efforts on behalf of Tehran. He also warned that military action endangers the entire region, disregarding the threat posed to the region by Iran.
Egypt’s establishment media went even further, publishing articles framing the potential fall of Iran’s Islamic regime as destabilizing.
At the same time, there is growing hostility in Egypt towards the American presence in the region. Thus, columnists and media figures warned that the toppling of the Iranian regime could lead to its replacement with a pro-U.S. regime, which they said would be “unfortunate.” They framed the existence of U.S. military bases in the region as a “threat” to their host countries, and called for establishing an independent regional Arab security apparatus and even of a united Arab army to oppose the U.S. and Israel. A cartoon in the Al-Masri Al-Yawm daily depicted a man in the street expressing his glee at the sound of sirens in Tel Aviv.
“What do I like to hear? Sirens in Tel Aviv!” – Al-Masri Al-Yawm, March 1, 2026.
It should be noted that Egypt’s stance vis-à-vis this war contrasts with that of its Gulf allies, who condemned Iran’s attack on their territory and have refrained from criticizing the American and Israeli attacks on Iran. It is also in line with its forgiving attitude to the weapons of Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hizbullah, suggesting that it merely “freeze” them, despite the November 2025 agreement in the matter.
Generally speaking, in recent years Iran-Egypt relations have warmed, as reflected inter alia in Egypt’s mediation in Iran-U.S. and Iran-IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) nuclear matters, and in getting Khaled Eslamboli Street in Tehran – named for the assassin of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat – renamed, which Egypt had set as a condition for Iran-Egypt normalization.
This report will review Egypt’s pro-Iran position as reflected by the Egyptian establishment and establishment media.
Egypt’s Official Position: Support For Dialogue And A Stop To The War, A Call For Restraint
Egypt’s first official response to the war was the February 28 statement by its foreign ministry, which expressed “great concern about the military escalation” and the “expansion of the conflict” that could “drag the entire region into chaos.” It added that the path of diplomacy and dialogue was preferable.
While “strongly condemning Iran’s damage to the unity and integrity of Arab states” and calling for upholding “the principle of good neighborliness,” the statement also hinted that the Arab states should not respond to attacks on them but should instead “exercise restraint at this critical stage in regional history.”
A similar message was conveyed by President El-Sisi to the leaders of the Arab countries attacked by Iran. He condemned the violation of their sovereignty without explicitly naming Iran, and stressed that dialogue is preferable because “military solutions will not serve the interest of any side.” At an Iftar break-fast meal with Egyptian armed forces on March 1, and as he highlighted Egypt’s pre-war efforts to mediate between the U.S. and Iran on the nuclear issue, El-Sisi also stressed the need for calm and for a halt to the war. He also expressed his concern that Egypt would be impacted by the war and its economic fallout, primarily due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and possible disruptions to shipping in the Suez Canal.
Al-Ahram: Bringing Down Iran’s Regime Will Destabilize The Region – Reach A Compromise With It
Egypt’s opposition to the attacks on Iran and to the possibility of regime change there was also expressed in articles in the Egyptian press. On February 29, the day after the war began, the state daily Al-Ahram warned that an overthrow of the Iranian regime would destabilize the region and that compromises must be reached with it instead. Referring indirectly to Iran’s attacks on its neighbors, it called them attacks on “American military bases,” refraining from condemning them and disregarding the civilian targets struck by Iran.
The daily wrote in an editorial: “Neither the military escalation nor the toppling of the Iranian regime will bring stability to the region – instead, they will push it into ongoing instability… Egypt consistently supports diplomatic efforts to resolve international issues. [It advocates] continuing the negotiation process, refraining from escalation in the region, and resolving the outstanding disputes regarding the nuclear dossier by means of U.S.-Iran negotiations and compromises, while avoiding military solutions and their disastrous consequences, which will spare no one and increase the danger to the countries of the region. These are conditions for open war, not for the limited rounds of escalation we have known in the past.”
The next day, Al-Ahram did condemn Iran’s attacks on its Arab neighbors and expressed support for the latter, but reiterated that Egypt is opposed to the war and believes diplomacy must be pursued. The editorial stated: “Immediately upon the February 28 outbreak of the war between Iran and the U.S. and Israel, Egypt was among the first countries to call for prioritizing the language of dialogue and political and diplomatic solutions over the use of force… for two main reasons: The use of force could have disastrous consequences for the entire Middle East region… leading to instability and chaos, and in addition… it will thwart the fervent efforts of many international and regional forces, first among them Egypt, to strengthen security and stability in the region…”
Al-Ahram Columnist: Khamenei’s Elimination Is A Tragedy; Iran Could Become The Biggest Graveyard For U.S. Soldiers
Abd Al-Muhsin Salama, a journalist who previously chaired the Al-Ahram board of directors, called Khamenei’s assassination a “tragedy” on par with that of Hizbullah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah. He went on to warn that bringing down the Iranian regime could lead to the “imposition” of a pro-American regime. He wrote:
“Unfortunately, the tragedy repeated itself in every detail. Iran’s leader Ali Khamenei and several of his senior aides were eliminated just like Hassan Nasrallah and his aides in Lebanon… Toppling the regime in Iran is not an easy matter, unless the popular protests there resume, or there is direct ground intervention by the U.S. and Israel… This is very improbable, since Iran could be the biggest graveyard for American and Israeli soldiers, [and], if this happens, it will be the beginning of the end of the American era.
“Another possibility is a continuation of the intensive American attacks, [along with] the eruption of domestic protests [in Iran], and an imposed Iranian regime that collaborates [with the U.S.]. Unfortunately, this seems the most likely scenario.”
Columnist: The American Bases Are Endangering Their Host Countries; We Need A Regional Security Apparatus
In his column in Al-Yawm Al-Sabi’, Bishawi Ramzi justified Iran’s attacks on its Gulf neighbors, saying that they had been aimed against U.S. military bases that are a “central element in the conflict.” Iran’s attacks, he said, prove that the bases are not performing their defensive role but that instead, “their very existence has become a threat… and they are unable to protect the areas where they are located.” He added that the host countries should adjust their defense approach and strengthen their ability to protect themselves, along with developing an “integrated defense apparatus and diversification of their security partners, so as to create a balance among the factors of the international equation, without joining a specific side…”
Egyptian Politician: Establish A United Arab Army Against The U.S. And Israel
Egyptian politician and media figure Mustafa Bakry, who is close to the Egyptian regime, likewise promoted the idea of a joint military apparatus, writing on his X account:
“Why aren’t we thinking about activating the [Arab League] joint defense agreement to defend our land and our Arab security? Israel’s ambitions and its biblical dream are concealed from no one. What are we waiting for? This silence helps the enemy achieve its goals. Whoever thinks that Israel will stop at bringing down the Iranian regime and destroying its military strength is mistaken. On the contrary, following the same scenario, they [Israel and the U.S.] will subjugate us under the Trump-led Board of Peace and our countries will become provinces under [its] control. They will control us and our natural resources. [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and Trump will have the last word and will determine our fate. Iran has its good and bad aspects, but its fall will not be the end of the road; it will mark the beginning of us being taken over one by one. Then, there will be no point in crying over spilled milk.”