Egypt parliament approves military support for Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks escalate

Parliament authorised Egypt's military on Monday to provide support to help defend Saudi Arabia, parliamentarians said and local media reported, a move that could push Cairo directly into the regional conflict that has ‌expanded with intensified attacks by Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis on the Gulf kingdom.

President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi ​had asked ⁠parliament last week to approve defending its Gulf Arab ally and ‌the world's biggest oil exporter if ‌Riyadh requests help against the Houthis, whose advances also threaten the strategic Bab El Mandeb Strait - a gateway to Egypt's Suez Canal.

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad travelled ⁠to Riyadh on Wednesday to deliver a letter to Saudi Crown Prince ‌Mohammed Bin Salman from Sisi, who said Egypt's support would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders rather than attacking Yemen.

Abdelatty said after that visit that ⁠Cairo advocates exploring "every opportunity" to resolve the Yemen conflict diplomatically.

The Saudi crown prince ​visited Sisi in Cairo on Sept.15 to discuss security and navigation in the Red Sea after the fighting in Yemen reignited.

Egypt has frequently condemned Iranian and Iranian-backed attacks on Gulf countries but has ‌not publicly engaged in direct combat or joined the Mecca mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan ⁠and Turkey that was signed in August.

Abdelatty said this month that Egyptian membership in the pact remains "under serious consideration."

Egypt, the Arab world's most populous state with one of the region's largest militaries, joined the Saudi-led coalition in an earlier phase of Yemen's war in March 2015 mainly as a naval partner, sending warships to secure Red Sea shipping lanes while pledging ​air support. It also deployed around 800 ground troops but played only a limited ‌combat role.

Reuters