Africaupdated 1h ago2 min read
Egypt’s National Defense Council Pledges All Necessary Support To Saudi Arabia Against Houthi Attacks
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National Defense Council pledged all necessary and possible support to Saudi Arabia. President Sisi chaired the council meeting to authorize defensive measures.
14 outlets told this the same way.
Egypt backs Saudi defense
Egypt’s National Defense Council, chaired by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, pledged on Sunday to provide “all necessary and possible support” to Saudi Arabia to defend its security and stability as Yemen’s Houthis continue attacks on the kingdom. Egypt’s presidency said the council “stands fully with” Saudi Arabia to defend its resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites, while Cairo also said it would intensify diplomatic efforts for de-escalation.
Egypt’s National Defense Council said it reviewed “dangerous” regional developments and declared Egypt’s “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia, citing historical ties and stressing that Saudi national security is linked to Egyptian and Arab national security. Egypt’s president said on Saturday that Egypt would act in accordance with guidance from Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and he called for an emergency parliamentary session to authorize him to approve requests from Saudi Arabia for defence assistance.
Parliament weighs authorization
Egypt’s president called on parliament to convene an emergency session to authorize him to take action to intervene in defence of Saudi Arabia if requested by Saudi leadership, and he said “This move and this defence require approval from the Egyptian parliament.” Egypt’s House of Representatives held a plenary session on Sunday in response to the president’s request, and Mostafa Bakry said in a post on his official X account that parliamentary sessions would continue on Monday and Tuesday.
The Egyptian Parliament held an emergency session on Sunday to discuss the requested authorization, then suspended it and decided to extend discussions to another session tomorrow, Monday. FlightRadar data in Al-Jazirah Net’s report showed two Egyptian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft with registration numbers SU-BAI and SU-BEW appearing in western Saudi Arabia between 8:24 and 11:15 AM Mecca time, before the signal disappeared once they crossed Jeddah’s airspace.
Regional stakes and deterrence
Egypt’s National Defense Council pledged support to protect Saudi Arabia’s resources, territorial integrity, and Islamic holy sites, while the presidency said the council emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s national security is inseparable from Egyptian and broader Arab national security.
Maj. Gen. محمد عبد الواحد said Sisi’s words set a framework for “defensive assistance, not offensive,” and he described it as a message to the Houthis and Iran that continued targeting of Saudi lands would lead to intervention by additional Arab parties.
Brig. Gen. Tariq al-Akari said intelligence information exchange would be the basis for what Egypt can provide, and he said “after intelligence coordination, all options are on the table from air defense to munitions.”
The National Defence Council’s statement did not specify what support would entail, and the New York Times said Egypt’s top security chiefs pledged “all necessary and possible forms of support” while lawmakers discussed authorizing el-Sisi to send forces to Saudi Arabia over the coming days.