Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday called for an emergency session of the House of Representatives to grant him authorisation to intervene in Saudi Arabia’s defence, should Riyadh request it.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony for new classes at the Egyptian Military Academy in the New Administrative Capital, Sisi explained that such a move would require parliamentary approval.
"I call on parliament to convene an emergency session to grant us authorisation to take action to intervene in defense of Saudi Arabia if we are asked to do so," the president said.
Sisi stressed that Cairo was not seeking to attack anyone or enter a war, but rather to defend Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, without disclosing details about the nature, scope, or timing of any potential intervention.
The move comes as Yemen's Houthis have ramped up their attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, including the targeting of an Aramco building, airports, and other key infrastructure.
Article 152 of the Egyptian Constitution stipulates that the president, as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, may neither declare war nor dispatch the armed forces on a combat mission outside the country’s borders without first consulting the National Defence Council and obtaining approval from the House of Representatives by a two-thirds majority of its members.
His statements come two days after he said, during a meeting with officials and media figures following a graduation ceremony at the Police Academy on Thursday, that Saudi Arabia’s security was directly linked to Egyptian and Arab national security. He stressed that Cairo rejected any threat to the kingdom’s security or borders, as well as any threat to maritime navigation in the Red Sea.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty previously said in an interview with Bloomberg on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund meetings in Bangkok that Egypt would respond to any Saudi request and was prepared to provide various forms of support, including military assistance.
He also noted that Cairo was seriously considering joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.
At the same time, Cairo has maintained its diplomatic approach. During a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, last Tuesday, Abdelatty stressed the need for an immediate halt to attacks targeting Saudi territory, describing them as unjustified and unacceptable. He called for de-escalation and for political and diplomatic solutions to take precedence.
Sisi's latest remarks on the conflict between the Houthis and Riyadh come amid an escalation in attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, including missile and drone strikes that hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and resulted in fatalities and hundreds of injuries.
