Egypt moves toward sending troops to Saudi Arabia to help defend against attacks by Iran-backed Houthis

October 20, 2026 / 12:54 PM EDT / CBS News

Cairo – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has asked the country's Parliament to authorize the military to help defend Saudi Arabia after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensified their attacks on the kingdom, targeting airports and oil infrastructure.

Al-Sisi stressed that it would be a defensive mission and only if the kingdom requests assistance.

"Egypt will take any measures requested by Saudi Arabia to protect and defend it," al-Sisi said Saturday during a military graduation ceremony.

Under Egypt's Constitution, the president must consult the National Defense Council and obtain approval from two-thirds of Parliament before deploying the armed forces on a combat mission abroad.

On Sunday, al-Sisi chaired a meeting of the National Defense Council, which reviewed what the Egyptian presidency described as the "grave escalations unfolding in the region" and the "unacceptable attacks" against Saudi Arabia.

The council pledged to provide "all necessary and possible forms of support to the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to defend its security and stability, and to safeguard its resources, territorial integrity, and Islamic holy sites."

Egypt has managed, so far, to stay out of all the recent military conflicts in the region and…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/