Despite repeated reassurances from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Egyptian government that the country remains secure, both the United States and Israel have warned their citizens about traveling to—or remaining inside—Egypt as tensions surge across the Middle East.
The warnings come as regional tensions intensify following the expansion of the US–Israeli war on Iran and the chain of developments that have unfolded since last Saturday.
During the armed forces’ Ramadan iftar ceremony at the beginning of March, El-Sisi sought to project an image of stability to both domestic and international audiences, even as anxiety grows across the region.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly echoed that message, telling a cabinet meeting last Tuesday that the internal situation in Egypt remains stable and that the government is capable of managing the repercussions of the crisis linked to Iran.
But those reassurances have done little to shift the travel warnings issued from Washington and Tel Aviv.
On Wednesday, the US embassy in Cairo issued fresh guidance for American citizens in Egypt, warning them not to travel to North and Central Sinai, the Western Desert, or border regions.
The embassy also urged US citizens to exercise increased caution in Egypt due to what it described as risks related to “terrorism, crime and health.” At the same time, the embassy adjusted an earlier advisory that had urged Americans to leave more than 12 countries, including Egypt, stating in a new notice that Cairo now falls under the second level of its security classification.
Two days earlier, the US State Department recommended that American citizens leave more than a dozen countries across the Middle East due to mounting security risks. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said the recommendation applied to Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The revised US assessment of Egypt came after intensive diplomatic contacts carried out by Egypt’s foreign ministry with Western governments it described as “partners and friends,” aimed at following developments and assessing the consequences of the military escalation in the region, according to a foreign ministry statement on Wednesday.
In response to the US State Department’s recommendation, the US national team competing in the Hockey World Cup qualifiers currently being held in Ismailia, asked to withdraw from the tournament and return to the United States. The request was approved by the International Hockey Federation.
On Tuesday, Israel’s National Security Council instructed Israelis returning through Egypt to limit their travel strictly to flights landing at Taba airport, urging them not to remain inside Egyptian territory and to proceed directly to the Taba border crossing.
The Israeli council also instructed Israelis to follow strict security precautions, including concealing anything that might reveal they are Israeli or Jewish upon arrival in Egypt and refraining from posting personal updates or identifying information on social media.
On the same day, hotel reservation rates in the South Sinai city of Taba spiked abruptly, driven by hundreds of bookings from travelers either heading to Israel or returning there. The border town has effectively turned into a primary evacuation corridor for stranded travelers as regional air navigation continues to be disrupted by the escalation triggered by the US–Israeli war on Iran.
