Does Egypt still have a place in the U.S. grand strategy? For many pundits in Washington the answer is a resounding no. From every corner of the U.S. foreign policy community frustration abounds with Egypt. If, however, the United States is ever capable of understanding its troublesome ally and salvaging what remains of the U.S.-Egyptian alliance, it must tread carefully, following Fouad Ajami's steps, and approach the Egypt of reality, and not that of imagination. It must take a voyage to "a jaded country," as Ajami called it, and visit the land of sorrows. Samuel Tadros addresses these questions in a lecture for the Westminster Institute.

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President Donald Trump shakes hands with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen as he announces a trade deal with the EU at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 27, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland. (Andrew Harnik via Getty Images)