Egypt's parliament on Monday, October 26, authorised the military by a two-thirds majority to help defend Saudi Arabia, a step that could draw Cairo directly into a regional conflict that has widened as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis step up attacks on the Gulf kingdom.
According to a parliamentary statement, the authorisation allows President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take measures, in coordination with Riyadh, to defend Saudi territory, sovereignty and holy sites. It followed closed-door sessions held on October 18, 19 and 26 at the president's request. The statement did not spell out the measures or explicitly announce a troop deployment, and according to sources the support would apply if Saudi Arabia asks for it.
Sisi has said Egypt's role would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders and would not include attacking Yemen. Houthi advances also threaten the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the gateway to Egypt's vital Suez Canal.
Egypt has condemned Iranian and Iran-backed attacks on Gulf states but has neither fought directly nor joined the Makkah mutual defence pact signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said this month that joining the pact was "under serious consideration".
In recent weeks the Houthis have struck Riyadh's international airport and state oil giant Saudi Aramco, disrupting flights and oil exports, while aid agencies warn that conditions are worsening in Yemen, already one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.