Egypt’s parliament has granted President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi authority to offer military assistance to Saudi Arabia as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis step up their attacks. The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Hisham Badawi, passed the mandate in a Monday vote.
A parliamentary statement shared with Reuters said el-Sisi may “undertake necessary” measures to help Riyadh defend itself, but only if Saudi Arabia asks for help. The move could pull Egypt more directly into a conflict that has spread across the Gulf and the Red Sea in recent weeks.
Parliament’s vote and the conditions attached
The vote followed closed-door debate and an earlier delay in approving the aid. Saudi Arabia is one of Egypt’s most important economic partners, and the country’s constitution requires two-thirds of legislators to approve sending troops abroad on combat missions.
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Nawaf Obaid, a visiting senior research fellow at King’s College London, said in an interview that Saudi officials wanted assurances Egypt would back the kingdom if needed. He described the vote as Cairo signalling that “it will be there”, while questions remain about what Riyadh might request and how Egypt would deliver it.
Houthi strikes and Red Sea stakes for Egypt
The decision follows Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s international airport and on facilities belonging to Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state oil company. Those strikes have disrupted flights and oil exports.
Egypt also has a direct interest in Red Sea security. Houthi attacks near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the key route to and from the Suez Canal, have disrupted shipping and reduced canal revenue. Egypt joined a earlier Saudi-led campaign in Yemen in 2015, mainly helping secure shipping routes with naval forces, and has not carried out a large-scale foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.
Limits on military action and diplomatic efforts
El-Sisi said on Wednesday that any Egyptian military action would be confined to protecting Saudi territory and borders, rather than attacking Yemen. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo still favours a diplomatic settlement after visiting Riyadh on Wednesday.
On Monday, el-Sisi met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Cairo to discuss regional tensions and peace efforts. According to Egypt’s presidency, Guterres praised Cairo’s work to prevent escalation and said diplomacy could help resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme and shipping. In a post on X, Guterres urged “maximum restraint”, warning that further fighting could spiral out of control.
