Egypt has called for renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the Yemen conflict as its parliament prepares to vote on October 26 on a proposal to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Thursday that Cairo was committed to exploring every opportunity for a political solution, while supporting measures to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks.
Any direct Egyptian military involvement would raise the stakes in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, which has emerged as an increasingly destabilising front in the wider US-Israeli war on Iran.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for an urgent parliamentary session on Saturday to consider authorising military support for Saudi Arabia. Lawmakers postponed the vote until October 26 following a closed session on Sunday to allow further deliberations.
Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad travelled to Riyadh on Wednesday to deliver a letter from Sisi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Sisi has said Egypt’s support would be limited to defending Saudi territory and its borders, rather than participating in attacks on Yemen. However, the precise nature of the assistance remains unclear.
Speaking at a news conference, Abdelatty said Egypt had stressed the need to explore political solutions that would ensure the Houthis withdrew fully from territory they seized during their advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in September.
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The strategic waterway connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a critical passage for global shipping, including vessels travelling towards Egypt’s Suez Canal.
Abdelatty said diplomatic efforts should proceed alongside support for Saudi Arabia’s defence.
Houthi Attacks Raise Regional Tensions
Clashes between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government have intensified since the rebels advanced towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, further straining global oil supplies.
The Houthis have since attacked Saudi airports and oil facilities, according to reports.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, is a key strategic and economic partner of Egypt, having provided billions of dollars in aid, central bank deposits and energy supplies under Sisi.
The Yemen conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis drove the internationally recognised government from the northern capital, Sanaa, prompting Saudi Arabia to lead a military intervention the following year.
Egypt joined the Saudi-led coalition in March 2015, primarily as a naval partner tasked with securing Red Sea shipping lanes, while also pledging air support. It deployed about 800 ground troops but played a limited combat role.
A United States-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted the fighting before hostilities resumed.
Although Cairo has expressed support for Riyadh since the latest escalation, it has avoided direct combat involvement. Egypt also did not join the mutual defence pact linking Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, although it has said membership remains under consideration.
Saudi Arabia previously sought military assistance from the United States, but President Donald Trump declined to authorise US strikes against the Houthis, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters in September. Washington instead offered intelligence-sharing and targeting assistance, the sources said.
Houthis Warn Egypt Against Military Involvement
Yahya Ali al-Rai, speaker of the Houthi-run House of Representatives, has warned Egypt against joining the conflict.
Al-Rai urged Egyptian lawmakers to reject the proposal, arguing that military involvement would threaten Egypt’s own security and domestic stability.
“Should Egypt slide down this path, it would pose a grave threat to its own national security and internal stability,” he said.
The proposed parliamentary authorisation comes as Cairo weighs its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security against the risks of becoming more directly involved in the protracted Yemen conflict.
