Egypt and the Houthi war: parliament delays debate on military aid for Riyadh
Cairo's defence council pledged Saudi Arabia “all possible forms of support”. Lawmakers will now only debate military assistance on October 26.
Archive image · Photo: Abdelrhman 1990 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Egypt's parliament has postponed its debate on military support for Saudi Arabia in its conflict with Yemen's Houthi rebels until October 26, CBS News reported on Monday. Earlier, Egypt's National Defense Council pledged “all possible forms of support” for the kingdom's security, AP reported.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday that Egypt would defend Saudi Arabia “if requested”. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed regional developments with his Egyptian counterpart, according to Just Security. Tehran denies involvement in the Houthi attacks and has offered to mediate, an offer Yemen's government rejected.
The Houthis have been striking targets in Saudi Arabia for weeks, including airports and oil facilities. Saudi Arabia and its allies are carrying out air strikes in northern Yemen; Houthi health authorities said at least nine people were killed in one such strike at the weekend.