Egypt Approves Military Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Houthi Attacks

Egypt Approves Military Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Houthi Attacks

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Egypt’s parliament on Monday authorised the country’s military to provide support to Saudi Arabia’s defence, according to lawmakers and local media. The decision could draw Cairo more directly into a regional conflict that has intensified following renewed attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement on the Gulf kingdom.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asked parliament last week to approve military assistance to Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, should Riyadh request help countering the Houthis. Their advances also threaten the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime gateway to Egypt’s Suez Canal.

Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, has one of the region’s largest militaries. It joined the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in March 2015, initially contributing mainly naval forces to protect shipping routes in the Red Sea and pledging air support. Cairo also deployed around 800 ground troops, although its direct combat role remained limited.

Egypt previously carried out a costly military intervention in Yemen during the 1960s and has not undertaken a large-scale overseas ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.

Saudi Arabia is a key political and financial partner for Cairo, having provided billions of dollars in aid, deposits with Egypt’s central bank and energy supplies during Sisi’s presidency.

Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government, and the Houthis, who control the capital, Sanaa, has intensified in recent weeks. The conflict has become another volatile front in the US-Israeli war against Iran.

The Houthis have targeted Riyadh’s international airport and Saudi state oil company Aramco, disrupting flights and oil exports. Meanwhile, aid agencies have warned of deteriorating conditions in Yemen, which is already experiencing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

According to Reuters, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad travelled to Riyadh on Wednesday to deliver a letter from Sisi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sisi said Egypt’s support would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders, rather than launching attacks inside Yemen.

Following the visit, Abdelatty said Cairo supported exploring “every opportunity” to resolve the conflict through diplomacy.

The Saudi crown prince visited Sisi in Cairo on 15 September to discuss security and navigation in the Red Sea following the renewed fighting in Yemen.



PUKMEDIA