The US has announced military aid worth more than $43bn to Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states in an effort to boost its Middle East allies against Iran. Egypt will receive $13bn in aid over 10 years while $30bn will go to Israel over the same period, Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said on Monday.

She also said that an unspecified defence aid package was allocated for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states.

The Saudi package is expected to upgrade the country’s missile defences and air force and increase its naval capabilities, a defence official said on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries are likely to recieve as much as $20bn over 10 years, he said.

Rice made the announcement hours before leaving with Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, for a joint trip to Egypt and Saudi Arabia to seek the support of Arab nations in stabilising Iraq. “This effort will help bolster forces of moderation and support a broader strategy to counter the negative influences of al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran,” Rice said.

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