The October 26 vote empowers President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to support Saudi defence on request. He says any military action would protect Saudi territory and borders, not strike Yemen.
Egypt’s House of Representatives voted on October 26 to authorise President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to take necessary measures to help Saudi Arabia defend itself if it requests assistance. A parliamentary statement set out that condition, Al Jazeera said.
The decision followed Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s international airport and facilities belonging to Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state oil company. The attacks disrupted flights and oil exports. The Houthis are the armed group that controls Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
Egypt also faces an economic cost from disruption at sea. Houthi attacks near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a route to and from the Suez Canal, have disrupted shipping and reduced canal revenue.
Egypt joined a Saudi-led campaign in Yemen in 2015, largely using naval forces to help secure shipping routes. Its constitution requires approval from two-thirds of legislators before troops can be sent abroad on combat missions.
Before the vote, el-Sisi said any Egyptian military action would be limited to protecting Saudi territory and borders, rather than launching attacks on Yemen. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also said Egypt continued to favour a diplomatic settlement after visiting Riyadh.
The vote authorises support rather than announcing a specific deployment. The type of assistance, force numbers and timing remain unspecified. Any assistance under the mandate depends on a Saudi request.
The coalition says it attacked a Houthi missile depot and that Saudi air defences intercepted a missile headed for Riyadh; the Houthis claim strikes on Saudi oil facilities and targets in Yemen.
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The reported interceptions coincide with an announced airport reopening, while the UN warns that time is running out to deliver aid to 800,000 people trapped in Taiz.
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In September, unnamed US officials described a joint command helping Saudi officers use a superintelligence (SI)-assisted tool to monitor the battlefield.
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