Egypt’s parliament has authorised President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take “all necessary measures” to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, potentially bringing Cairo closer to direct involvement in the escalating regional conflict.
The measure was approved by at least two-thirds of lawmakers during a closed-door session on Monday, according to an official parliamentary statement. However, the exact vote tally was not released.
Sisi had asked parliament to approve military support for Saudi Arabia, a key Gulf ally, if Riyadh requested assistance against the Houthis, whose advances threaten the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a southern gateway to the Red Sea and Egypt’s Suez Canal.
No formal Saudi request for Egyptian troops has been announced, and the parliamentary statement did not specify the form of support Egypt might provide.
However, Taher al-Khouly, deputy head of parliament’s legislative committee, told Reuters that Egyptian forces would be sent to Saudi Arabia through coordination between the two countries and at Riyadh’s request.
Several opposition groups opposed or declined to support the proposal.
The Civil Democratic Movement, a coalition of opposition parties, rejected Egyptian military involvement in a regional war and argued that Cairo should focus on diplomatic mediation.
The Egyptian Social Democratic Party said its lawmakers would abstain from the vote, citing insufficient information about the mission’s objectives, duration and cost, while reiterating its support for Saudi Arabia.
Egypt says support will be defensive
Egypt has repeatedly condemned attacks by Iran and Iran-backed groups against Gulf countries. However, it has not publicly engaged in direct combat in the current conflict or joined the mutual defence pact involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, signed in August.
The pact’s member countries held an emergency meeting in Riyadh earlier this month and agreed to ensure the rapid deployment of forces and military capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan approved the agreement last week, while Turkey’s parliament began the ratification process.
Senior officials from the three countries were also meeting Iranian leaders in Tehran on Monday in an effort to de-escalate the conflict.
Britain announced last week that it would deploy Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets on missions to help protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure from Houthi aerial attacks.
Meanwhile, Egyptian officials have emphasised that any military assistance would be limited to defending Saudi territory rather than attacking Yemen.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad travelled to Riyadh last week to deliver a letter from Sisi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The parliamentary vote had been postponed while the discussions took place.
Abdelatty subsequently said Cairo supported exploring every opportunity to resolve the Yemen conflict through diplomacy.
Senate Speaker Essam Farid described Egypt’s position as “purely defensive”, aimed at protecting Saudi territory, borders, sovereignty and holy sites from external attacks.
He said Egypt would not participate in an attack on Yemen, describing the country as “a shield that protects, not a sword that attacks”.
Egypt’s history of military involvement in Yemen
Egypt previously joined the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government in March 2015.
At the time, Cairo mainly contributed naval forces to secure Red Sea shipping lanes. It also deployed around 800 ground troops but played a limited combat role.
Egypt has a history of military involvement in Yemen, having undertaken a costly intervention during the 1960s. It has not carried out a large-scale foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.
The latest proposal has drawn opposition from Yemen’s Houthi-run parliament. Its speaker, Yahya Ali al-Rai, urged Egyptian lawmakers last week to reject the move, warning that involvement could threaten Egypt’s national security and domestic stability.
However, Farid told the Senate that he had received a letter from Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, head of Yemen’s Shura Council, which is aligned with the internationally recognised government, supporting Egypt’s participation in defending Saudi Arabia.
According to Farid, bin Daghr said the position reflected the wishes of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council.
Houthi attacks intensify regional tensions
Saudi Arabia is a major political and financial partner of Egypt, having provided billions of dollars in aid, central bank deposits and energy supplies during Sisi’s presidency.
Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa, has intensified in recent weeks, adding another volatile front to the wider US-Israeli war on Iran.
The Houthis have attacked Riyadh’s international airport and Saudi state oil giant Aramco, disrupting flights and oil exports.
Humanitarian agencies have also warned of worsening conditions in Yemen, which is already facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had sought military assistance from the United States. However, US President Donald Trump declined to authorise strikes against the Houthis, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters in September.
Washington instead told Riyadh it would assist with intelligence sharing and targeting, the sources said.
Egypt’s parliamentary authorisation now gives Sisi the backing to provide military assistance if Saudi Arabia requests it, although the precise scope and timing of any deployment remain unclear.
