Egyptian parliament authorises military aid for Saudi Arabia

Legislators approve military support amid Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, but Cairo has ruled out strikes on Yemen.

Egypt's parliament has approved sending troops to support Saudi Arabia's defence against Houthi attacks (File: Reuters}

Egypt’s parliament has authorised President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia as attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis intensify.

The House of Representatives, chaired by Speaker Hisham Badawi, approved the mandate in a vote on Monday.

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A parliamentary statement members shared with Reuters said el-Sisi had been authorised to “undertake necessary” measures to support Saudi Arabia in defending itself, should Riyadh request assistance.

The move raises the possibility of Egypt becoming more directly involved in a conflict which has consumed the Gulf and the Red Sea in recent weeks.

Nawaf Obaid, a visiting senior research fellow at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera that Saudi officials wanted reassurances that Egypt would support the kingdom if asked.

The vote was Cairo’s way of saying “it will be there”, he said, but questions remain over what type of assistance Riyadh might request and how Egypt would provide it.

The decision follows Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s international airport and facilities belonging to Saudi Arabia’s state oil company, Aramco, which have disrupted flights and oil exports.

The Houthi armed group that controls Yemen’s capital, Sanaa is fighting the Saudi-led coalition which backs the internationally recognised government.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks, deepening the humanitarian crisis that has already devastated Yemen.

El-Sisi said on Wednesday that any Egyptian military action would be limited to protecting Saudi territory and borders, rather than launching attacks on Yemen.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo continued to favour a diplomatic settlement after visiting Riyadh on Wednesday.

The vote followed closed-door parliamentary discussions and an earlier postponement of the military aid authorisation for Saudi Arabia, which is one of Egypt’s most important economic partners.

Egypt’s constitution requires approval from two-thirds of legislators before troops can be sent abroad on combat missions.

Egypt also has a direct stake in Red Sea security. Houthi attacks near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the key route to and from the Suez Canal , have disrupted shipping and reduced canal revenue.

Egypt joined a previous Saudi-led campaign in Yemen in 2015, largely helping secure shipping routes with naval forces.

Cairo has not undertaken a large-scale foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.

El-Sisi also met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Cairo on Monday to discuss regional tensions and peace efforts.

According to Egypt’s presidency, Guterres praised Cairo’s efforts to prevent escalation in the Gulf and said diplomacy could help address disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme and shipping.

In a post on X on Monday, Guterres urged “maximum restraint”, warning that further fighting could spiral out of control.

立法者批准向胡塞武装提供军事支持，以应对胡塞武装对沙特阿拉伯的袭击，但开罗方面已排除对也门发动袭击的可能性。

埃及议会已批准派遣军队支援沙特阿拉伯抵御胡塞武装的袭击（图片来源：路透社）

随着也门胡塞武装（伊朗支持的武装组织）的袭击愈演愈烈，埃及议会已授权总统阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西向沙特阿拉伯提供军事支持。

由议长希沙姆·巴达维主持的众议院于周一投票通过了这项授权。

问题 1/3：为什么埃及如此谨慎地避免卷入也门冲突？

问题 2（共 3 个）：全球石油储备是否足以抵御美伊战争的再次爆发？

欧洲和中东部长敦促美伊开展外交斡旋，避免新的袭击（名单3/3）

路透社获得的一份议会声明称，如果利雅得提出援助请求，塞西总统已被授权“采取必要措施”支持沙特阿拉伯进行自卫。

此举增加了埃及更直接地卷入近几周来席卷海湾和红海地区的冲突的可能性。

伦敦国王学院访问高级研究员纳瓦夫·奥贝德告诉半岛电视台，沙特官员希望得到保证，如果沙特提出请求，埃及会给予支持。

他说，这次投票是开罗方面表示“埃及会提供援助”的方式，但利雅得可能会要求提供何种类型的援助以及埃及将如何提供援助，仍然存在疑问。

此前，胡塞武装袭击了利雅得国际机场和沙特阿拉伯国家石油公司阿美的设施，导致航班和石油出口中断。

控制也门首都萨那的胡塞武装组织正在与支持国际公认政府的沙特领导的联军作战。

近几周来，战事愈演愈烈，加剧了已经给也门带来毁灭性打击的人道主义危机。

塞西周三表示，埃及的任何军事行动都将仅限于保护沙特领土和边界，而不是对也门发动攻击。

埃及外交部长巴德尔·阿卜杜勒拉提周三访问利雅得后表示，开罗方面仍然倾向于通过外交途径解决问题。

此次投票是在议会闭门讨论之后进行的，此前对沙特阿拉伯（埃及最重要的经济伙伴之一）的军事援助授权也被推迟。

埃及宪法规定，向国外派遣军队执行作战任务前，必须获得三分之二立法者的批准。

埃及也与红海安全有着直接的利害关系。胡塞武装在曼德海峡（通往苏伊士运河的关键通道）附近的袭击扰乱了航运，并减少了运河收入。

埃及曾在 2015 年加入沙特阿拉伯领导的也门军事行动，主要依靠海军力量帮助确保航运路线的安全。

自 1991 年海湾战争以来，开罗尚未进行过大规模的海外地面部署。

周一，塞西总统在开罗会见了联合国秘书长安东尼奥·古特雷斯，讨论了地区紧张局势和和平努力。

据埃及总统府称，古特雷斯赞扬了开罗为防止海湾地区局势升级所做的努力，并表示外交手段可以帮助解决伊朗核计划和航运方面的争端。

古特雷斯周一在X网站上发帖敦促各方“保持最大限度的克制”，并警告说，进一步的冲突可能会失控。