{"id":16911,"date":"2019-11-18T22:02:37","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T22:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/18\/us-egypt-could-face-sanctions-if-it-purchases-russian-fighter-jets\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:14:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:14:58","slug":"us-egypt-could-face-sanctions-if-it-purchases-russian-fighter-jets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/11\/18\/us-egypt-could-face-sanctions-if-it-purchases-russian-fighter-jets\/","title":{"rendered":"US: Egypt could face sanctions if it purchases Russian fighter jets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CAIRO \u2014 A senior U.S. official warned Egypt on Monday that if it purchases Russian fighter jets it risks American sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

R. Clarke Cooper, the State Department\u2019s assistant secretary in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, made the comment to journalists on the sidelines of the biennial Dubai Airshow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooper said the planned purchase of Russian jets puts Egypt \u201cat risk of sanctions and it puts them at risk of loss of future acquisition.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Egypt has concluded a deal to buy Russian Su-35s jets, according to military officials in Cairo, which it says are to help combat a yearslong Islamist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Egyptian military, which is the largest in the Arab world, went to Russia after the U.S. did not answer requests over a year ago to acquire roughly two dozen F-35 fighter jets, according to one Egyptian military official. The Russian deal was meant to diversify Egypt\u2019s weapon suppliers, because in past years U.S. military assistance <\/a>was stopped due to concerns over human rights violations, said another official.<\/p>\n\n\n\t