Egypt Backs Saudi Arabia Against Houthi Attacks as Yemen Fighting Escalates

Egypt's top security body agreed Sunday to support Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, according to the Associated Press and Al Jazeera. The move comes as the Houthis have struck airports and oil sites across the kingdom, disrupting air travel and unsettling global markets.

The National Defense Council, chaired by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, said Egypt is ready to provide “all necessary and possible support” to Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reported. The presidency gave no details about what that support would involve.

How the escalation unfolded

• February: The Iran war began. According to AP, Iran's supreme leader was killed in the opening strikes, and the fighting in Yemen has since become the latest front in that conflict.
• Mid-July: A Saudi strike hit the Houthi-held Sanaa airport, according to the Houthis' chief negotiator, Mohamed Abdulsalam. He said it prevented an Iranian flight carrying a Houthi delegation from landing after the supreme leader's funeral. The Houthis then declared their own blockade on the kingdom. A Saudi diplomat said the kingdom had called for a meeting in Oman that month to resolve differences, and that the rebels refused to attend. Abdulsalam said Oman had offered a five-day truce and that Riyadh showed no sign of meeting the Houthis' humanitarian demands.
• A month before Sunday's decision: The Saudi crown prince visited Cairo after fighting in Yemen reignited. Egypt's presidency said at the time that the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states is integral to Egypt's national security, and el-Sisi backed Saudi calls for unhindered Red Sea navigation.
• Recent days: The Houthis attacked Riyadh's international airport and the state oil giant Saudi Aramco, per Al Jazeera, and seized more territory along Yemen's Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, per AP.
• Saturday: El-Sisi said Egypt would act on guidance from the Saudi king and crown prince. He asked parliament for authorization to deploy troops and military equipment abroad.
• Sunday: The National Defense Council announced its decision. The president's office said Cairo would also step up diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.

Why it matters for travel, shipping and markets

AP reported that at least 19 people have been killed in the attacks, thousands of flights have been affected and global markets have been rattled. The Houthis have used drones and missiles that can change direction in flight, which AP said makes them harder for interceptors to stop.

Shipping is also at stake. AP described the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera cited analysts who said Egypt's Suez Canal revenue depends on the same Red Sea traffic, making Cairo a natural partner for Riyadh. The analysts said Egypt wants to keep Iran and its allies from gaining control over the region's waterways.

Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of encouraging the Houthi attacks. Tehran denies it, according to Al Jazeera. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said he spoke by phone Sunday with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, about regional developments.

Casualties on both sides of the border

The Houthi-run Health Ministry said an airstrike on Sunday killed at least nine people, including five children and two women, in Saada province. Spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said 19 others were wounded, including 11 children, and blamed Saudi Arabia. The kingdom had not commented at the time of AP's report.

The Houthis said Saudi-led attacks killed or wounded over 30 people in 24 hours. Their military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said 110 missiles or airstrikes hit civilian sites in Sanaa and other cities. AP said it could not independently verify that claim.

In Saudi Arabia, a military helicopter gunship crashed near Najran, killing its two-member crew. A Saudi spokesperson cited a technical malfunction, while the Houthis had claimed they shot it down. Saudi Civil Defense said a Houthi projectile later landed in a residential area of Najran province and wounded six people.

What happens next

Al Jazeera reported that Egypt's parliament was holding an emergency session Sunday to authorize el-Sisi to approve any Saudi request for defense assistance. Saudi Arabia has been pressing allies for military help, according to AP. On Sunday its defense minister met the United Arab Emirates president to discuss strengthening cooperation, according to the UAE's news agency WAM. The two countries have had tense relations in the recent past because they backed different factions in the Yemeni coalition.

Separately, Egypt's Al-Azhar, a leading institution of Sunni Islam, called for an “urgent mediation committee” to end conflicts across the Arab region.

Sources: Al Jazeera, ABC News