Egypt weighs Saudi defense role amid Yemen war memories — SkimNews
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- Egypt is considering deploying forces to defend Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks, following a National Defence Council statement on October 18 affirming readiness to support Riyadh.
- Sisi clarified that any Egyptian military role would be strictly defensive and not involve direct aggression against the Houthis, after initial comments sparked backlash over potential entanglement.
- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for a political solution to the Yemen conflict on Thursday, underscoring Cairo’s preference for diplomacy over military action.
- Houthi attacks on Saudi targets, including a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 13 people, have intensified pressure on allies like Egypt to respond.
- Ahmad Dahshan, editor-in-chief of the Center of Arabic Eurasian Studies, noted that memories of Egypt’s 1960s Yemen war—where Egyptian troops died fighting Saudi-backed royalists—shape current reluctance to deploy forces on behalf of Saudi Arabia.
- Mohammed al-Qadhi, a Yemeni political analyst, stated that while Yemenis still honor Egypt’s past support for the republic, the current government needs economic and logistical aid, not additional foreign fighters.
Why it matters: Egypt stands to lose billions more in Suez Canal revenue if Red Sea shipping disruptions worsen due to expanded Houthi attacks, which could be triggered by its involvement—making even defensive deployment a high-risk economic and military decision despite political pressure from Saudi Arabia.
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