Abdel Fattah el-Sisi: Egypt will defend Saudi Arabia if asked

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi asked his country's parliament on Saturday, 17 October 2026, to meet in an emergency session and authorise him to accept any Saudi Arabian request for defensive assistance. The request came as missile and drone attacks by the Houthis, allies of the Islamic Republic in Yemen, on Saudi airports and oil facilities have intensified in recent weeks.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony at Egypt's military academy, el-Sisi said Cairo would take every measure to protect Saudi Arabia if Riyadh asked, and would proceed in coordination with King Salman and Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince. He stressed that his words concerned defence only and urged parliament to convene as soon as possible to issue the authorisation.

The Houthi front and the role of the Islamic Republic

Since late September the Houthis have repeatedly targeted Riyadh's King Khalid Airport and the airports of Dammam, Abha, Jazan and Najran, and their attacks have moved closer to the Saudi capital's suburbs. The Saudi-led coalition had earlier said that attacks on Riyadh airport have intensified with the encouragement of the Islamic Republic, and Saudi intelligence assessments also indicate that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers are choosing the targets of the Houthi attacks.

The Islamic Republic has rejected these accusations, and its foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, has offered to mediate — an offer coming from a government that is itself accused of arming and directing one of the parties to the war.

Why Egypt is stepping in

On 15 September, meeting Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo, el-Sisi had backed Saudi Arabia's call for safe, unobstructed shipping in the Red Sea, and the Egyptian presidency had described the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states as part of Egypt's national security. A few days before that meeting, the Houthis seized Yemen's Red Sea coast and gained significant control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern gateway to the Suez Canal.

Analysts say Suez Canal revenue depends on this very shipping route and that Cairo does not want the Islamic Republic and its allies to take control of the region's maritime passages. In July–August this year, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey also signed the "Mecca Alliance for Defence" pact, and on 5 October they agreed to activate "deterrent measures" and to rapidly deploy forces to Saudi Arabia.

With Egypt ready to defend Saudi Arabia, the war the Houthis began with the Islamic Republic's backing is uniting the largest Arab countries against Tehran.