Egypt Pledges Support to Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Escalation

Egypt's top security body announced Sunday its agreement to support Saudi Arabia in defending against attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, a move that signals a deepening regional alignment amid escalating conflict.

The decision by Egypt's National Defense Council, chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, comes as Saudi Arabia has been seeking military assistance from allies. The Houthi rebels have intensified attacks on Saudi airports and oil infrastructure using drones and missiles, causing disruptions to thousands of flights and impacting global markets. At least 19 people have been killed in these attacks.

Egyptian President el-Sissi had previously called for parliamentary authorization to deploy troops and military equipment abroad, a request that was subsequently granted. The specific details of Egypt's support were not immediately disclosed.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia's defense minister was also scheduled to meet with the president of the United Arab Emirates to discuss strengthening cooperation. This meeting occurs despite past tensions between the two nations, stemming from their support for different factions in the Yemeni conflict.

In parallel, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke by phone with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi regarding regional developments. However, no details of their conversation were released.

The increased fighting has placed civilians in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen at risk. Yemen, the interim capital of which is Aden, has experienced a resurgence of civil war, with attacks targeting its airport and a government palace in the past week.

On Sunday, an airstrike in Yemen's rebel-held northern province of Saada killed at least nine people, including five children and two women, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry. The ministry blamed Saudi Arabia for the strike, which also wounded 19 others. The Saudi-led coalition has not yet commented on this specific incident.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, claimed that Saudi-led forces conducted 110 missiles or airstrikes against civilian sites in Sanaa and other cities in the past 24 hours, resulting in the death or injury of over 30 people. The Associated Press could not independently verify these claims.

Meanwhile, a Saudi helicopter gunship crashed near Najran in southwestern Saudi Arabia, killing its two-member crew. A Saudi military spokesperson cited a technical malfunction, though the Houthis claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft. Additionally, projectile fire from the Houthis landed in a residential area of Najran province, wounding six people, according to Saudi Civil Defense authorities.

The Houthis have renewed their attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, coinciding with the kingdom's support for Yemen's internationally recognized government. The rebels have also recently gained territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis' chief negotiator attributed the current escalation to Saudi Arabia, stating that warnings had been issued against striking the rebel-held Sanaa airport in mid-July, which prevented the landing of an Iranian flight carrying a Houthi delegation. The rebels have declared their own blockade on Saudi Arabia in response to the ongoing Saudi blockade.

Oman had proposed a five-day truce to facilitate discussions, which the Houthis accepted on the condition that Saudi Arabia agreed to "humanitarian demands." However, the Houthis stated that Saudi Arabia showed no positive indication of engaging with these demands, prompting the rebels to launch their offensive along the Red Sea coast.

A Saudi diplomat had previously indicated that the kingdom had proposed a meeting in Oman with the Houthis in July to resolve differences, but the rebels declined to participate.

In a broader regional call for peace, Al-Azhar, a prominent religious institution in Egypt, urged the formation of an urgent mediation committee to end conflicts across the Arab region.