Egyptian Lawmakers Grant Army Green Light to Defend Saudi Arabia
The move responds to Houthi attacks on Gulf infrastructure and follows a direct request from President Sisi last week.
By Nadia Singh ·
Egypt’s parliament voted on Monday to allow the military to support Saudi Arabia.
Lawmakers authorized the armed forces to provide direct help in defending the Gulf kingdom. The decision places Cairo more directly into the regional conflict as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis intensify their attacks. Local media and parliamentarians confirmed the authorization of the military support.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi requested the vote last week. He asked legislators to approve defense measures for his Gulf ally, the world’s largest oil exporter, if Riyadh requested aid. The Houthis also threaten the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which serves as a gateway to the Suez Canal. Although Egypt has condemned Iranian-backed strikes on Gulf nations, it had not previously engaged in direct combat or joined the Mecca mutual defense pact signed in August.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated that Egypt’s membership in the pact remains under serious consideration. Cairo previously joined the Saudi-led coalition in March 2015. At that time, Egypt served mainly as a naval partner to secure Red Sea shipping lanes. The country deployed approximately 800 ground troops but maintained a limited combat role. This marks the first large-scale foreign ground deployment authorization for Egypt since the 1991 Gulf War.
Saudi Arabia provides billions of dollars in aid, central bank deposits, and energy supplies to Egypt. The conflict has escalated in recent weeks, becoming a volatile front in the wider US-Israeli war on Iran. Houthi forces have targeted Riyadh’s international airport and Saudi Aramco, disrupting flights and oil exports. Aid agencies warn that conditions in Yemen are worsening amid one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad traveled to Riyadh on Wednesday to deliver a letter from Sisi to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sisi specified that Egyptian support would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders rather than attacking Yemen. Abdelatty added that Cairo advocates exploring every opportunity to resolve the conflict diplomatically. The Saudi crown prince had visited Sisi in Cairo on September 15 to discuss Red Sea security and navigation.
