Egypt delays vote on military support for Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks

Egypt’s parliament has postponed until October 26 a vote that could authorize President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.

Egypt’s National Defence Council approved the proposed assistance on Sunday after pledging “all necessary and possible forms of support” to protect Saudi security, territory, resources and Islamic holy sites. Under Egypt’s constitution, sending troops on a combat mission abroad requires approval from two-thirds of the 596-member House of Representatives.

Authorization would not automatically trigger a deployment. Egypt has said it would act only if Saudi Arabia formally requested assistance, and no such request has been announced. The proposed mission’s scale, duration and form also remain unspecified.

The opposition Egyptian Social Democratic Party instructed its nearly dozen lawmakers to abstain, saying parliament had not received enough information about the mission’s objectives, costs, duration or risks to Egyptian forces. The National reported that about 300 legislators sought to speak during closed sessions as debate continued.

The deliberations follow intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi targets, including Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Saudi Aramco. Saudi authorities said 13 people were killed in the October 10 airport attack. El-Sisi has characterized Egypt’s possible role as defensive, saying Cairo would take necessary measures to protect its Gulf allies but was not seeking to attack or confront anyone.