Egypt weighs sending troops to Saudi Arabia in war with Iran-backed rebels

Cairo - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has asked the country's Parliament to authorize the military to help defend Saudi Arabia after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensified their attacks on the kingdom, targeting airports and oil infrastructure.

Al-Sisi stressed that it would be a defensive mission and only if the kingdom requests assistance.

"Egypt will take any measures requested by Saudi Arabia to protect and defend it," al-Sisi said Saturday during a military graduation ceremony.

Under Egypt's Constitution, the president must consult the National Defense Council and obtain approval from two-thirds of Parliament before deploying the armed forces on a combat mission abroad.

On Sunday, al-Sisi chaired a meeting of the National Defense Council, which reviewed what the Egyptian presidency described as the "grave escalations unfolding in the region" and the "unacceptable attacks" against Saudi Arabia.

The council pledged to provide "all necessary and possible forms of support to the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to defend its security and stability, and to safeguard its resources, territorial integrity, and Islamic holy sites."

Egypt has managed, so far, to stay out of all the recent military conflicts in the region and has tried to de-escalate and find political solutions. For some, this is one of al-Sisi's greatest achievements.

But Samir Ragheb, a retired army brigadier and political and strategic analyst, told CBS News that it was time for Egypt to make good on commitments it had made to helping secure the region.

"Egypt has repeatedly pledged to support the security of the Gulf states and has issued numerous statements reaffirming this commitment," Ragheb said. "However, this is a time of war, not politics and statements. If Egypt fails to deliver on these promises, they will lose their meaning and amount to nothing more than empty threats."

"The Gulf states have invested billions of dollars in Egypt. Morally, it's Egypt's turn to return the favor," he said.

Parliament convened an emergency session on Sunday and was expected to approve the resolution on Tuesday, but the vote was postponed until next Monday.

The Egyptian Social Democratic Party instructed its parliamentary bloc to abstain from voting on the resolution, saying in a statement it had not received sufficient information about "the mission's scope, costs, and risks, as well as the arrangements in place to protect Egyptian forces."

Ragheb is certain the region is heading toward a more severe escalation.

"Egypt is not going to defend the kingdom against the Houthis," he said. "The threat is much bigger than the Houthis. This includes Iran, Iraqi militias and sleeper cells within the kingdom itself."

However, he also believes Egypt will lose much of its influence in the region if it doesn't intervene.

"If you want to be a regional player, you must play a role," he said. "Otherwise, you will lose your seat at the table."

Ragheb argued that the United States' refusal to attack the Houthis in support of Saudi Arabia created a vacuum that must be filled by others. He said Egypt should take on the Arab share of that role.

Other regional powers are also trying to fill the vacuum. In August, Saudi Arabia signed a joint defense agreement with Turkey and Pakistan known as the Mecca Accords.

"Even before Saudi Arabia asked for Egyptian support, the Mecca Accords was a death certificate for the idea of relying on America for any form of defense," Ragheb said.