Egypt Parliament Votes to Defend Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Threats

Egypt’s parliament on Monday authorized military support to defend Saudi Arabia, the same day Yemen’s Houthis claimed unconfirmed attacks on pumping stations along the kingdom’s East-West crude pipeline and on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, according to OilPrice.

The approval allows President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to send forces if Riyadh asks for help against the Houthis. Sisi has stated that Egyptian support will be strictly confined to defending Saudi territory and borders, with no attacks launched inside Yemen. Prior to the vote, Yahya Al Raei, speaker of the Houthi-run parliament in Sanaa, warned Egyptian Speaker Hisham Badawy that joining the conflict would pose a grave danger to Egypt’s national security.

Pipeline Security and Regional Talks

The 740-mile East-West pipeline carries crude across Saudi Arabia to Yanbu on the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman noted that flows had recovered to 5.8 million barrels per day against a capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, following previous disruptions in September. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue in parallel with military escalations, as Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman led a delegation to Tehran on Monday to support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan.

Key facts

• Egypt's parliament authorized military support on Monday to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi threats.
• The Houthis claimed unconfirmed attacks on pumping stations along the kingdom's East-West crude pipeline and Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport.
• President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's authorized deployment is limited strictly to defending Saudi territory and borders without attacks inside Yemen.
• Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman led a delegation to Tehran on Monday to discuss de-escalation and mediation.