Israeli report: Egypt may acquire Russian S-400 missiles through deal with Turkey

Egypt is considering buying Russian S-400 air defence systems from Turkey as part of a strategic move to diversify its sources of arms, raising concerns in Israel.

The Israeli news platform Natziv Net reported that reports of Turkey offering or considering selling Russian S-400 air defence systems to Egypt, as well as Qatar and the UAE, which have also been identified as potential buyers, represent a complex strategic move with far-reaching implications for the Middle East and Israel.

The Israeli outlet said Turkey’s main reason for selling the S-400 is its strong desire to return to the US F-35 stealth fighter programme.

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It said Washington removed Ankara from the programme and imposed security-related sanctions on it in 2019 after Turkey bought the Russian system, amid concerns that Moscow could use it to gather sensitive information. Recent US signals following meetings between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump have indicated that removing the system from Turkish territory could pave the way for lifting the sanctions.

Selling the system to a third country would allow Turkey to resolve the issue without destroying the costly system or angering Moscow, which would have to approve the identity of the buyer, the report said.

It added that Egypt has for years pursued a policy of diversifying its arms suppliers to avoid relying on a single major power. Egypt already operates older-generation Russian air defence systems, including the S-300VM, making the integration of the S-400 technically and logistically feasible.

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