Trump Talks About "Sisi's Visit" to the United States

U.S. President Donald Trump said that his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is a "friend," responding to a question about whether Sisi intends to visit the United States. Trump explained in press remarks regarding Sisi's invitation: "He is a friend of mine, and I will be happy to meet him as well." Trump also confirmed that he has not set a date to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said that Netanyahu "wants to see me." Meanwhile, the Chairman of Egypt's General Authority for Information, Diaa Rashwan, affirmed that regarding what has been published and circulated by some media platforms and social media about the gas deal between Egypt and Israel, the agreement under discussion is purely a commercial deal concluded based on purely economic and investment considerations, and does not involve any political dimensions or understandings of any kind. Rashwan pointed out that "what happened is a commercial contract subject to market rules and international investment mechanisms, away from any political use or interpretation." Rashwan emphasized that the parties to the agreement are well-known international commercial companies operating in the energy sector for years, including the American company Chevron, alongside Egyptian companies specialized in receiving, transporting, and trading gas, all without any direct government intervention in concluding these contracts. On its part, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that "Israel's approval of the gas agreement concluded by Chevron with Egypt is a major achievement for American business and regional cooperation." It added that "the gas agreement between Israel and Egypt not only enhances energy security but also supports broader efforts to stabilize and rebuild Gaza." Earlier, a report by the Israeli newspaper "Zman" revealed that the recent gas deal between Israel and Egypt was driven and pressured directly by the U.S., despite the sharp tensions in relations since October 7, 2023. The report indicated that Washington used the gas deal as a political tool to expand Israeli-Egyptian cooperation, especially amid sharp disagreements regarding the Rafah crossing, which Cairo considers any unilateral opening of it a "red line" for fear of displacing Palestinians to Sinai.