Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s commitment to Saudi security and stability during a speech at the Military Academy
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said his country is prepared to help defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, raising the prospect of a wider regional conflict. El-Sisi said Egypt would not allow Saudi Arabia’s security or stability to be threatened and was ready to join the fighting if Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman requested military assistance.
“It is inconceivable that we would allow Saudi Arabia, its security or stability to be harmed,” Sisi said at the Egyptian Military Academy on Saturday.
Egypt’s parliament has scheduled an emergency session for Sunday to consider authorising military action in support of Saudi Arabia, according to the report.
The offer comes amid an escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi territory. A strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 10 October reportedly killed 13 people, including an American.
Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that its forces had intercepted and destroyed four drones over the Riyadh region, the Eastern Province and the south of the country.
“We have intercepted and destroyed four drones over the past few hours in the regions of Riyadh, the Eastern Province, and the South,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki wrote on X.
The Houthis also struck the headquarters of Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco on Wednesday, damaging the building but causing no casualties, according to the report.
Saudi Arabia has been involved in a conflict with the Houthis since the group seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in 2014. Riyadh subsequently led a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Fighting eased after a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but the conflict reportedly intensified again in July following the US-Israeli war involving Iran.
The Houthis have also imposed a blockade on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route, disrupting Saudi oil exports and adding to concerns over regional trade and energy supplies.
Iran has provided the Houthis with training and intelligence, as well as assistance in targeting drone attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The latest escalation has prompted concern among regional leaders that the conflict could expand. US President Donald Trump has said Washington may assist Saudi Arabia following the airport attack.