Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has pledged to defend Saudi Arabia against escalating Houthi attacks if requested, as the Egyptian parliament adjourned an emergency session on Sunday to consider authorising possible military support for the kingdom.
Discussions are expected to resume on Monday, according to Reuters, as Cairo considers the steps it could take to assist Saudi Arabia amid renewed fighting in Yemen.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy on Saturday, El-Sisi said Egypt would take any necessary action to protect Saudi Arabia, while stressing that his country was not seeking to initiate hostilities.
“We will take any action to protect Saudi Arabia, and I call on parliament to hold an emergency session to authorise this action if we are asked to do so,” he said, according to Ahram Online.
The Egyptian presidency said on Sunday that the country would provide Saudi Arabia with “all necessary and possible forms of support” to defend its security and stability, protect its resources and territorial integrity, and safeguard Islamic holy sites.
The statement followed a meeting of Egypt’s National Defence Council, chaired by El-Sisi and attended by senior government and military officials. The council also called for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.
The pledge comes amid intensified attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels on Saudi targets, including Riyadh’s international airport and facilities belonging to state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco.
The attacks followed renewed fighting between the Houthis and forces backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government after a truce collapsed.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia maintain close strategic and economic ties. Egypt previously joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government against the Houthis, although its combat role was limited.
Any Egyptian military action would depend on a request from Saudi Arabia and the necessary domestic authorisation.
The parliamentary discussions are expected to determine the scope of any support Cairo could provide.
