Egypt’s joint Arab force plan faces Gulf backlash amid Iran war
Gulf influencers and analysts reject Egypt’s NATO-style military proposal, citing Cairo’s perceived lukewarm stance on Iranian attacks
Sercan Roni
Egypt’s renewed call for the formation of a joint Arab military force to protect regional states is facing sharp criticism from Gulf influencers and analysts, who accuse Cairo of failing to take a firm enough stance against Iranian attacks on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.
The proposal, originally floated by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2015 and revived during the current crisis, envisions a NATO-style rapid support force to defend Arab sovereignty. However, Emirati political science professor Abdulkhaleq Abdulla dismissed the idea on social media, stating that Gulf countries have proven their ability to defend themselves using their own capabilities.
Hinting at Egypt’s internal economic struggles, Abdulla added that the Gulf states do not need help from what he described as “weak” states facing internal crises. Saudi political analyst Omar Seif told The New Arab that some Gulf citizens believe Egypt should have taken a firmer stance, preferring to put pressure on Iran, while Egypt has favored calm and diplomacy .
The sentiment is rooted in perceptions that ordinary Egyptians have shown online support for Iran, failing to account for the effects of Iranian actions on GCC states caught in the crossfire of the US-Israel war. Although Egypt was one of the earliest countries to denounce Iranian attacks on February 28, several Egyptian MPs objected to a parliamentary statement for failing to equally condemn Israeli and American attacks on Iran.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatti, currently on a tour of Gulf capitals, invoked the force again on March 10. Despite the lack of enthusiasm among Arab decision-makers due to existing divergent military alliances, Egyptian military experts argue that the joint force would complement, not replace, current pacts with the US, Europe, and Turkey.
“The presence of such a force will create a strategic balance of power that deters any transgression against Arab states,” Egyptian military expert Gen. Nasr Salem argued .
