A recent media report has reignited controversy in Egypt after revealing Saudi Arabia’s proposal to host a U.S. military base on the strategic islands of Tiran and Sanafir, two sites that have long been a focal point of political and public dispute in Egypt.
This development raises significant questions about sovereignty, regional alignments, and Cairo’s position within the shifting balance of alliances.
The islands, located at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, control access to the northern part of the Red Sea and are key to maritime navigation to Jordan’s Aqaba port and Israel’s Eilat port.
While Egypt had administered the islands since the 1950s, a controversial maritime demarcation agreement in 2016 transferred formal sovereignty to Saudi Arabia—an act met with strong public opposition and legal challenges.
According to a report by the independent Egyptian outlet “Mada Masr,” Saudi Arabia has proposed allowing the United States to establish a military base on one or both of the islands.
This proposal is part of broader U.S.-Gulf security coordination aimed at countering Iran’s growing regional influence and addressing threats to Red Sea shipping, particularly from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Though there has been no official confirmation from Saudi Arabia or the United States, the report has raised concerns within Egyptian political circles.
Senior officials in Cairo have reportedly voiced their disapproval of the plan, citing national security concerns due to the sensitivity of the location near the entrance to the Suez Canal, a vital artery for Egypt’s economy.
A diplomatic source familiar with the issue told Mada Masr, “The Egyptian military considers the area part of its immediate security environment. A foreign base, even on islands no longer under Egyptian sovereignty, changes the equation.”
While both Cairo and Riyadh have remained silent on the proposal, analysts believe that the issue may deepen tensions between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, whose strategic partnership has already been tested in recent years over investments, aid, and divergent regional strategies.
Though Egypt formally ceded sovereignty over the islands in 2017 following parliamentary ratification, many Egyptians still view Tiran and Sanafir as part of Egypt, both historically and emotionally. The potential establishment of a U.S. base could reignite public anger and lead to renewed calls for revisiting the controversial handover.
In fact, a group of 57 Egyptian lawyers recently filed a lawsuit in administrative court, seeking to annul the maritime border agreement and restore Egyptian sovereignty over the islands, citing Article 151 of Egypt’s Constitution, which requires a public referendum for any territorial concession.
The proposal for a U.S. base is likely part of a broader American effort to maintain its military and geopolitical presence in the region amid rising threats from Iran and increasing Chinese and Russian activity in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa.
The islands’ location near Israel and Egypt and their proximity to the narrow Straits of Tiran make them a highly valuable strategic asset.
Any foreign military presence on the islands would require coordination with Israel, as stipulated by the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty, which guarantees freedom of navigation through the straits and places limits on military deployments.
“This isn’t just a bilateral Saudi-American issue,” said a regional security analyst. “Egypt, Israel, and potentially even Jordan would need to be involved or at least informed. A U.S. base there could complicate existing security arrangements and agreements.”
Though the islands are officially Saudi territory now, Egypt still retains some security oversight under the terms of the original transfer and broader regional peace agreements.
Some observers see the base proposal as a reflection of Cairo’s declining regional influence and its increasing dependence on Gulf support amid a severe economic crisis.
“The situation underscores Egypt’s weakened bargaining power,” said a former Egyptian diplomat. “When you rely heavily on financial aid, your voice becomes softer—even on issues as sensitive as national security.”
On Egyptian social media, the hashtag “Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian” began trending again, echoing the slogan from the massive protests that shook the country in 2016.
Critics argue that turning the islands into a foreign military base would effectively erase Egypt’s historical claim and could provoke further instability in an already volatile region.
“Giving the Americans a base on these islands means inviting regional escalation,” one activist tweeted.
“It’s a direct challenge to Iran and a potential magnet for future conflict.”
Whether or not the base is ultimately constructed, the islands remain a symbol of unresolved tension between sovereignty, national identity, and regional realpolitik. For Egypt, the proposal has reopened an old wound—one that never fully healed after the sovereignty transfer.
The question now is whether Cairo will quietly push back behind closed doors, seek to renegotiate terms with Riyadh, or allow the issue to unfold in a way that could further erode its influence in the Red Sea.
Regardless, the proposed U.S. base marks a new chapter in the geopolitical contest over one of the world’s most strategic waterways—where the lines between ally and rival are becoming increasingly blurred.
Saudi proposal to host US military base on Tiran, Sanafir sparks tensions with Cairo – Türkiye Today
