Egypt weighs defensive support for Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks
Briefing by News4U · First published
President el-Sisi says any Egyptian deployment would defend Saudi Arabia only, not attack Houthis; parliament vote set for Monday.
Al Jazeera reported that after Houthi strikes on Saudi targets, including a Riyadh airport attack that killed 13 people, Egypt’s National Defence Council said on October 18 it was ready to give “all necessary and possible support” to defend Saudi Arabia. [1]
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed on Wednesday that any deployment would be defensive and not involve direct aggression against the Houthis; Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for a political solution on Thursday. [1]
A parliamentary vote on sending forces is scheduled for Monday after a week-long delay; Egypt has already lost $20bn in Suez Canal revenue due to Red Sea instability. [1]
Sources
- Why is Egypt so wary of getting involved in Yemen’s conflict?
Al Jazeera · · Excerpt