Egypt: Parliament approves military support for Saudi Arabia
Egypt's parliament has authorized President Sisi to militarily support Saudi Arabia amid escalating Houthi attacks, as King Mohammed VI says Saudi security is part of Morocco's own.
Egypt's House of Representatives approved on Monday a mandate authorizing President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to take the necessary measures to support and defend Saudi Arabia, as the Houthis step up their attacks on Saudi territory and threaten the kingdom with "qualitative attacks."
A conditional mandate, the shape of support still unclear
Last week, Sisi had asked parliament to approve military support for Saudi Arabia if Riyadh formally requested it — a request that has not yet been confirmed. The exact form Egyptian support would take remains unclear, at a time when Egypt has the largest army in the Arab world, with hundreds of thousands of troops, fighter jets and air-defense systems from the United States, China, France and Russia.
Sisi: defending territory, not attacking Yemen
In a speech at the "Egypt Forum 2026" last week, Sisi said Cairo's offer aims to defend Saudi territory and borders, not to launch an attack on Yemen, adding that the support would extend to any other Arab state that asked Egypt for help. The move comes as attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis threaten the Bab al-Mandab strait, the gateway to the Suez Canal and one of the world's most important trade routes.
A parallel diplomatic track with Iran
On the diplomatic front, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held consultations with the "R4" group, which brings together Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey under what is known as the Mecca defense agreement, saying he speaks daily with Iranian officials to help de-escalate regional tension. Egypt's 2014 constitution requires a two-thirds majority of parliament to approve any combat mission for the armed forces abroad.
What this means for Morocco
In late September, King Mohammed VI sent two telegrams to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, condemning the Houthis' "repeated" attacks on civilian and economic facilities and populated areas, and noting that they had extended to attempts to target Mecca and Medina. The Moroccan monarch affirmed that Saudi Arabia's security "is part of Morocco's security" and that any aggression against it is "an aggression against Morocco," holding the Houthis and those who fund and arm them fully responsible and calling for international sanctions.