Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said Cairo’s potential military support for Saudi Arabia would be limited to defending the kingdom and would not extend to offensive operations against Yemen.
The statement came as Egypt’s parliament postponed until October 26 a vote on authorising the armed forces to assist Saudi Arabia if requested, lawmakers said. The delay extends deliberations over the possibility of a deeper Egyptian military role following recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement.
According to the presidential statement, Egypt would also be prepared to defend the territory of any other Arab country if requested. However, any military action would remain confined to protecting Egypt or another Arab state whose security and stability Cairo considers necessary to safeguard.
Sisi said Egypt’s support for the Gulf states was an extension of shared Arab national security interests.
The announcement follows a series of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement targeting Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh’s international airport and state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco, amid renewed fighting with forces backed by the kingdom.
The escalation followed the collapse of a truce between the Houthis and forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Last week, Sisi pledged that Egypt would take all necessary measures to defend Saudi Arabia if requested, as Houthi attacks on the kingdom intensified.
The Egyptian president said Cairo would act in accordance with the directives of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Saudi crown prince visited Sisi on September 15, following renewed fighting in Yemen. The two leaders discussed several issues, including regional security and navigation in the Red Sea.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia maintain close strategic and economic ties. Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Gulf states have provided Egypt with billions of dollars in financial assistance, central bank deposits and investments since the military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Egypt also joined the Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government against the Houthi movement.
The latest developments highlight growing regional security concerns as attacks on Saudi interests intensify and Cairo weighs the extent of its potential military involvement.
