Yemen’s Houthi movement has warned Egypt against joining military operations in support of Saudi Arabia, cautioning that such involvement could threaten Cairo’s national security and domestic stability.
The warning followed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s announcement on Saturday that his country was prepared to provide defensive military assistance to Saudi Arabia amid escalating Houthi missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.
Yahya Ali al-Ra’i, speaker of the Houthi-aligned parliament in Sanaa, sent an urgent letter to his Egyptian counterpart, Hisham Badawi, urging Cairo to avoid becoming involved in the conflict.
According to the Houthi-run Saba news agency, al-Ra’i warned that Egyptian participation in military operations supporting Riyadh would represent a serious danger to the country’s security and internal stability.
The letter accused Saudi Arabia of prolonging the war in Yemen, maintaining a blockade and undermining previous peace initiatives. It also accused Riyadh of targeting civilian infrastructure, including Sanaa International Airport.
Al-Ra’i called on Egypt to maintain its traditional role in supporting Yemen’s stability rather than joining military operations that could further destabilise the region.
The warning came after Sisi requested an emergency parliamentary session to authorise potential defensive assistance to Saudi Arabia if Riyadh formally sought Egyptian support.
Sisi stressed that Egypt was not seeking confrontation or offensive military action, but would take necessary measures to defend Saudi security.
Egypt’s parliament is scheduled to meet on Sunday, October 18, to consider the president’s request.
The developments follow intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including Riyadh’s international airport and facilities belonging to state oil giant Saudi Aramco.
The escalating confrontation has also raised concerns over maritime security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping passage linking international trade routes to Egypt’s Suez Canal.
