Egypt moves toward sending troops to Saudi Arabia to help defend against attacks by Houthis

Egypt moves toward sending troops to Saudi Arabia to help defend against attacks by Houthis

ETH

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has requested parliamentary authorization for the military to assist in defending Saudi Arabia as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels step up strikes on the kingdom’s airports and oil infrastructure. According to a report from CBS News, al-Sisi has emphasized that any deployment would be strictly defensive and would occur only if Riyadh specifically requests help.

“Egypt will take any measures requested by Saudi Arabia to protect and defend it,” al-Sisi said Saturday during a military graduation ceremony. Under Egypt’s Constitution, the president must first consult the National Defense Council and secure approval from two-thirds of Parliament before sending armed forces on a combat mission abroad.

On Sunday, al-Sisi chaired a meeting of the National Defense Council, which examined what the presidency called the “grave escalations unfolding in the region” and the “unacceptable attacks” against Saudi Arabia.

The council pledged to provide “all necessary and possible forms of support to the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to defend its security and stability, and to safeguard its resources, territorial integrity, and Islamic holy sites.”

Egypt has so far avoided direct involvement in the region’s recent military conflicts, focusing instead on diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and seek political solutions—an approach some have viewed as one of al-Sisi’s notable accomplishments. Yet Samir Ragheb, a retired army brigadier and political and strategic analyst, told CBS News that the moment has arrived for Egypt to act on longstanding commitments to Gulf security.

“Egypt has repeatedly pledged to support the security of the Gulf states and has issued numerous statements reaffirming this commitment,” Ragheb said. “However, this is a time of war, not politics and statements. If Egypt fails to deliver on these promises, they will lose their meaning and amount to nothing more than empty threats.” He added that Gulf states have invested billions of dollars in Egypt and that “morally, it’s Egypt’s turn to return the favor.”

Parliament held an emergency session on Sunday and had been expected to approve the measure on Tuesday, but the vote was postponed until next Monday. The Egyptian Social Democratic Party directed its parliamentary members to abstain, citing insufficient details on the mission’s scope, costs, risks, and protections for Egyptian forces.