Why did Britain and France oppose Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez Canal?

Britain and France opposed the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1956 primarily due to economic and strategic concerns regarding their colonial interests and energy security.12

The key reasons for their opposition included:

• Loss of Control: The canal had been a joint British-French enterprise controlled by the Suez Canal Company. Nasser’s decision to place the canal under Egyptian management effectively ended this foreign control.123
• Energy Security: Britain and France feared that Nasser might close the canal, thereby cutting off vital shipments of petroleum flowing from the Persian Gulf to Western Europe.2
• Political Tensions: The nationalization followed a period of mounting political friction, exacerbated by the American and British decision to withdraw funding for the Aswan High Dam due to Egypt’s growing ties with the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.2

In response, Britain and France secretly planned military action to regain control of the canal and, if possible, to depose Nasser, leading to the Suez Crisis.2