In Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi said yesterday that Egypt is ready to defend Saudi Arabia “if requested,” as fighting intensifies between the kingdom and Yemen’s Houthi militia. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian military academy on Saturday, el Sisi said it was “inconceivable” for Cairo to stand by, while Saudi Arabia was “harmed or its security and stability threatened.” “Egypt, of course, with the directives of His Majesty King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will carry out any measure to protect you or defend you,” he said.
El Sisi stressed that Egypt was “not looking for a role to play” in regional conflicts and that any deployment would require parliamentary approval. He said he hoped lawmakers would convene an emergency session to grant authorization “if it is requested of us… I’m not talking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone,” he said. “We are speaking only about defense.”
El Sisi’s remarks came two days after the UN Security Council condemned the Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, in a presidential statement, which backed the Saudis’ right to self defense. That statement was denounced by a senior Ansarallah official in an interview with PressTV for its silence on Saudi atrocities in Yemen.
