Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi said Cairo is ready to help defend Saudi Arabia if asked, as Houthi attacks on Saudi targets intensify.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi said Saturday that Egypt stands ready to defend Saudi Arabia if the kingdom asks. He spoke at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian military academy, according to DW.
Sissi said Egypt was "not looking for a role to play" in regional conflicts. He added, however, that it was "inconceivable that we would allow Saudi Arabia, its security or stability to be harmed."
He said any Egyptian action would follow the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He also stressed the limits of what he was offering. "I'm not talking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone," Sissi said. "We are speaking only about defense."
Sissi acknowledged that any such step needs the consent of Egypt's legislature. "I know this requires the approval of the Egyptian parliament, and I ask that an emergency session be held so that it can give us that authorization if we are asked," he said.
According to DW, an emergency session is expected Sunday to consider whether to authorize potential assistance to Saudi Arabia's defense.
Other outlets' headlines point to wider official backing. The Hill reported that Egypt's top security body agreed to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against Houthi attacks, and Reuters said Egypt was ready to give the kingdom "necessary support." Business Insider Africa reported that Egypt is considering joining Pakistan and Turkey in defending Saudi Arabia against the Iran-backed group. The source material does not detail those arrangements.
Sissi's comments came as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis ramped up attacks on Saudi targets, DW reported. The strikes have hit energy facilities and King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh's main airport.
One of those attacks, a week ago, killed 13 people. DW described it as the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
The Houthis and Saudi Arabia have been in conflict since 2015, when the kingdom entered Yemen's civil war to lead a military coalition against the group. The Houthis have launched repeated attacks on the kingdom since then. Al Jazeera's coverage of the latest developments appeared under an "Iran war live" banner, indicating the wider regional context, though the source material gives no further detail on that conflict.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia share strong strategic and economic ties, according to DW. Egypt was also part of the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in 2015 to support Yemen's government against the Houthis.
Egypt has a direct economic interest in the fighting as well. DW noted that Houthi attacks have disrupted Red Sea traffic, which has reduced the revenue Egypt earns from shipping through the Suez Canal.
What happens next depends largely on two things: whether parliament grants the authorization Sissi requested, and whether Saudi Arabia formally asks for help. Sissi framed his offer as conditional on a request from Riyadh, and the source material does not say whether one has been made.
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