A joint military exercise between Egypt and Pakistan has underscored growing ties between the two countries, which became increasingly evident during the recent Iran war.
The joint drill, dubbed “Raad 2,” began Thursday with the participation of Egyptian paratroopers and Pakistani special forces and is set to run for several days at special forces training grounds in Pakistan.
Egypt’s military spokesman said the exercise includes a range of joint training activities focused on special operations and counterterrorism, aimed at exchanging tactical expertise, aligning operational concepts and enhancing coordination and combat readiness among participating units.
Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye emerged as key mediators in the Iran war, which began on Feb. 28.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire announced this week between the US and Iran and urged all parties to engage seriously in talks “to achieve lasting peace and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the region and the world.”
Cairo also reiterated its support for initiatives aimed at achieving peace and security, stressing its continued efforts with Pakistan and Türkiye to work with regional and international partners to enhance stability.
Pakistan, which maintains good relations with both the administration of US President Donald Trump and neighboring Iran, played a mediating role between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday in a post on X that China, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar had all provided support to help secure a ceasefire and give diplomacy a chance.
A four-way meeting involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan held in Islamabad in late March discussed ways to enhance coordination in response to rapid developments and escalating military tensions in the region.
Participants also exchanged assessments of the severe economic repercussions of the escalation, including its impact on international shipping, supply chains, food security and energy security amid rising oil prices.
Rakha Ahmed Hassan, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and a former assistant foreign minister, said Egyptian-Pakistani cooperation dates back many years and includes joint exercises and exchanges of expertise.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat the drill aims to strengthen ties and benefit from evolving military experience, particularly in light of new weapons and technologies introduced in both countries.
He added the exercise is not directly linked to the Iran war but comes within the broader context of addressing various challenges. “The training is military support and is not directed against anyone,” he stated.
In recent days, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held daily contacts with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss efforts to launch direct negotiations between the US and Iran and to promote diplomacy over military escalation.
Hassan said Egypt, Pakistan and Türkiye played a significant role in reaching a truce, noting that the three countries helped bridge differences between the sides thanks to their strong relations with all parties and their interest in ending a war that caused heavy damage to all sides, including the US and Israel.
