Cairo bitter over Trump tour despite special advisor's visit to 'smooth relations'

Egyptian diplomatic sources said that a visit by US President Donald Trump's advisor for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs to Egypt earlier this week has stirred anger in Cairo, as it was not scheduled and comes amid a recent "chill in tensions".

Massad Boulous visited Egypt shortly after Trump’s Middle East tour, however, Cairo was not included as one of the stops, while Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was not invited to any of the president's meetings, sources told The New Arab’s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The decision to sideline Egypt during the tour and then hastily arrange a visit for Boulous appears to have angered Cairo.

Despite the reported discontent, Sisi welcomed Boulous along with Egypt’s head of general intelligence, the US Ambassador to Cairo and the deputy secretary of state for North African affairs.

Egypt’s presidential spokesperson said that in the meeting with Trump’s advisor, Sisi emphasised the strategic relationship between Egypt and the US as well as Cairo's eagerness to strengthen ties in various fields.

An official Egyptian statement said that the Trump advisor affirmed joint efforts in restoring regional calm in a way that serves the interests of all parties.

Sisi sidelined

According to a diplomat at the Egyptian embassy in Washington, prior to Trump’s Middle East tour, which commenced on 13 May, there were attempts to arrange a visit for Sisi to join a meeting during one of the stops of the tour.

One suggestion was that Sisi would meet with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Trump, however, reports say that "political considerations" prevented this from happening.

An Egyptian diplomat said discussions had taken place regarding the possibility of arranging another possible meeting between Sisi and Trump in Doha, under the umbrella of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks, but the arrangement fell through again, with the US appearing reluctant to take part in the meeting.

Dissatisfaction in Cairo

Another Egyptian diplomat in Cairo said that Boulos' visit to the capital came after a call between Egypt’s foreign minister and the US ambassador to Cairo, in which the latter expressed dissatisfaction.

Egypt’s foreign minister said the ambassador promised that they would submit a recommendation to the US regarding the message they had conveyed, before Washington reached out again to inform Cairo that Boulos had been sent on an official visit to "smooth relations", sources explained.

Despite the US move to send Trump’s advisor to Cairo, Egypt is reportedly unhappy with the level of US representation during the visit.

Reports state that there is a belief that Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who was in the region as part of US mediation efforts for a Gaza ceasefire, could have also been sent.

"The recent chill in Egypt-US relations cannot be ignored, contrary to what was expected from the Egyptian leadership, which was more inclined to deal with Trump than his predecessor, Joe Biden," an Egyptian diplomat said, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The diplomat added that Cairo's anger at Trump's Gaza plan, which entails forcibly displacing residents to Egypt and Jordan, has caused Washington to threaten to reduce US aid to Cairo.

Relations between the US and Egypt were further strained when Egypt rejected Trump’s recent proposal regarding the Suez Canal, and his desire for the free passage of US ships through the canal.