Relationship dossier
Egypt
Iraq
Relationship assessment
Practical economic and regional cooperation follows a major rupture over Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait
Egypt toward Iraq
+30Egypt has participated in bilateral and Egypt-Iraq-Jordan initiatives concerning trade, energy, and regional cooperation. In 1991, Egypt joined the coalition that fought Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait, a major episode of confrontation.
Iraq toward Egypt
+30Iraq has engaged with Egypt in bilateral and Egypt-Iraq-Jordan initiatives concerning trade, energy, and regional cooperation. Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait led to a major rupture with Egypt, which joined the subsequent coalition against Iraq.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship combines practical cooperation on economic and energy matters with the enduring legacy of the 1990–91 rupture. Regional coordination and bilateral initiatives have supported renewed engagement, but the available scope of cooperation does not indicate an exceptionally close partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Egypt and Iraq have pursued practical cooperation in trade, energy, and regional coordination, including through the Egypt-Iraq-Jordan framework. Their ties have also been shaped by a major past rupture: Egypt opposed Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait and joined the coalition that fought Iraq in 1991. Contemporary cooperation is meaningful, though its scope and continuity are not fully clear.
Areas of tension
- Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait and Egypt's participation in the coalition against Iraq in 1991 caused a major bilateral rupture.
Key developments
Egypt joined the coalition that fought Iraq after Iraq invaded Kuwait, causing a major rupture in bilateral relations.
Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan established a trilateral framework for regional cooperation, including economic and energy initiatives.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and long-term scope of Egypt-Iraq agreements on energy and economic cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of recent bilateral security cooperation is uncertain.