Egypt Votes to Defend Saudi Arabia, Risking Houthi Fire
Egypt’s parliament on Monday authorized military support to defend Saudi Arabia, the same day Yemen’s Houthis claimed unconfirmed attacks on pumping stations along the kingdom’s East-West crude pipeline and on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The Houthis had warned Cairo against the move. Yahya Al Raei, speaker of the Houthi-run parliament in Sanaa, wrote to Egyptian Speaker Hisham…
On Monday, Egypt's parliament voted to provide military assistance to defend Saudi Arabia, as the Houthis in Yemen claimed unverified attacks on infrastructure along the kingdom's East-West crude pipeline and at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The Houthis had previously cautioned Egypt against this decision, warning of grave danger to its national security.
The Yemeni parliament's speaker, Yahya Al Raei, had sent a letter to Egypt's parliament speaker, Hisham Badawy, on the previous week, expressing concerns about Egypt's involvement in the conflict.
This authorization empowers President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to deploy Egyptian forces if Riyadh requests help against the Houthis, with Sisi stating that the support will be limited to protecting Saudi territory and borders, without launching attacks within Yemen. The Houthis confirmed attacks on the pipeline on Monday but did not specify the exact locations. Saudi Arabia has not yet verified any damage as of Monday morning.
On Saturday, the Houthis also claimed strikes on the Rabigh refinery and an Aramco facility in Yanbu, but Riyadh has not confirmed these claims. The 740-mile pipeline transports crude from the kingdom to Yanbu on the Red Sea, avoiding the Strait of Hormuz. After drone attacks blamed on Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, the pipeline was shut for two weeks beginning September 10.
Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman reported on October 6 that crude flows had returned to 5.8 million barrels per day, compared to a capacity of around 7 million barrels per day. Saudi exports from Yanbu averaged 3 million barrels per day in October, according to Kpler.
The Saudi-led coalition reported destroying two ballistic missile launchers in Sanaa, one of which was fired towards Riyadh but was intercepted. Additionally, they claimed to have hit five missile storage tunnels and four additional launchers. Meanwhile, Riyadh is engaging in dialogue with Tehran, with Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman leading a surprise delegation to Iran on Monday.
The visit aimed to de-escalate tensions and support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that indirect talks with Washington are ongoing through both countries, and Iran remains open to resuming fighting, but diplomacy is still a possibility.
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