Parliament Clears Egyptian Military to Defend Saudi Borders on Request

Egypt's parliament voted on Monday to authorize the military to help defend Saudi Arabia if Riyadh asks for assistance against Yemen's Houthi forces, parliamentarians said. The vote came after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asked lawmakers for the mandate last week.

The authorization covers support for Saudi Arabia against attacks by the Houthis, who have struck Riyadh's international airport and Saudi Aramco facilities, disrupting flights and oil exports. Houthi activity also reaches the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a passage leading to Egypt's Suez Canal. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad traveled to Riyadh on Wednesday to deliver a letter from Sisi to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sisi has said any support would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders rather than attacking Yemen.

Egypt has condemned Iranian and Iranian-backed attacks on Gulf states but has not engaged directly in combat. It is not a member of the mutual defense pact signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey. Abdelatty said this month that Egyptian membership in that pact remains "under serious consideration."

Egypt joined the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis in March 2015 as a naval partner, sending warships to secure Red Sea shipping lanes and pledging air support. It deployed around 800 ground troops and played a limited combat role. The country has not carried out a large-scale foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.

Saudi Arabia has provided Cairo with billions of dollars in aid, central bank deposits, and energy supplies under Sisi. Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, who control Yemen's capital Sanaa, has escalated in recent weeks. Aid agencies have warned of worsening conditions in Yemen.

Abdelatty said after the Riyadh visit that Egypt advocates exploring "every opportunity" to resolve the Yemen conflict diplomatically. The crown prince visited Sisi in Cairo on September 15 to discuss security and navigation in the Red Sea after fighting in Yemen reignited.