Egypt
Country Spotlight
Egypt has a history of pursuing weapons of mass destruction and used chemical weapons during its intervention in the North Yemen Civil War of the 1960s. However, Egypt today is a strong supporter of nonproliferation efforts, including a proposal to create a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East.
See Egypt's performance in:
Region Middle East and North Africa
1960s Deployed chemical weapons
1981 Ratified the NPT
2 Nuclear research reactors
4 Nuclear power plants under construction
Nuclear
- Harbored nuclear ambitions in the 1960s but halted efforts in 1973
- Proponent of WMD Free Zone in Middle East
- Established the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA) in 2010
- Has a strategic partnership with Russia to complete the El Dabaa NPP Project
- Began construction on the fourth and last Russian-supplied nuclear reactors in July 2024
Biological
- Strongly denies accusations of research into anthrax, plague, and botulinum toxin for military purposes
- Limited open-source information indicating an offensive biological weapons program
- Refuses to ratify BTWC, pointing to Israel’s non-membership status
Missile
- Possesses ballistic, cruise, and air defense missiles
- Pursued indigenous programs from 1948-1970
- Received missiles and assistance from North Korea, Iraq, Argentina, Russia, China, and the U.S.
- Operates Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile systems
- In the spring of 2025, acquired Chinese HQ-9B surface-to-air missile systems
- Not a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) or the Hague Code of Conduct Against the Proliferation of Ballistic Missiles (HCOC)
Chemical
- Deployed chemical weapons in the North Yemen Civil War from 1963-1967
- Maintains defensive chemical weapon capabilities
- Refuses to join the CWC in protest of Israel’s nuclear weapons