Egypt Clears Military Role in Saudi Defense

Egypt's parliament voted Monday to authorize the military to support Saudi Arabia in defending against Houthi attacks, members of the body said and local media reported. The vote came after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asked lawmakers last week to approve such a move if Riyadh requests help against the Yemen-based group.

The Houthis have struck Riyadh's international airport and Saudi Aramco facilities in recent weeks, disrupting flights and oil exports. The group's advances also threaten the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which feeds into Egypt's Suez Canal. Egypt has condemned Iranian and Iranian-backed attacks on Gulf states but has not joined direct combat.

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said this month that Egypt's membership in the mutual defense pact signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey remains "under serious consideration." Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad traveled to Riyadh last Wednesday to deliver a letter from Sisi to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sisi's message said any Egyptian support would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders rather than attacking Yemen. Abdelatty said after the visit that Cairo advocates exploring "every opportunity" to resolve the Yemen conflict diplomatically.

Egypt has a record in Yemen. It joined the Saudi-led coalition in March 2015 as a naval partner, sending warships to secure Red Sea shipping lanes and pledging air support. It also deployed roughly 800 ground troops but played a limited combat role in that campaign. Its last large-scale ground deployment outside its borders came in the 1991 Gulf War, following a costly intervention in Yemen in the 1960s.

Saudi Arabia is a major political and financial partner for Cairo. Under Sisi, Riyadh has provided billions in aid, central bank deposits, and energy supplies. The Saudi crown prince met Sisi in Cairo on September 15 to discuss Red Sea security and navigation after fighting in Yemen reignited. Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Houthi militia, which controls the capital Sanaa, has escalated in recent weeks.