Houthis: Egypt’s decision to give military support to Saudi Arabia is declaration of war

A Houthi official said Tuesday that the Egyptian parliament’s decision to authorize military support for Saudi Arabia to defend against the Iran-backed group’s attacks on the Gulf kingdom was a declaration of war.

The comment was part of a long statement reacting to a Monday visit to Tehran by the Saudi defense minister, alongside Pakistan’s army chief and Turkey’s intelligence chief, in a bid to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East war.

“It is truly remarkable that while these people go to discuss what they call ‘peace in the region,’ Egypt and its parliament declare support for the so-called defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in doing so, declare war against the Republic of Yemen,” said Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, in a Telegram post, referring to his rebel government as the legitimate leadership of the country.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir and Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin attended the talks with Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. They also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey recently signed a NATO-style defense pact in Mecca that says an attack on one country is to be considered an attack on all three. But since the Houthis ramped up attacks on Saudi Arabia earlier this month, the two other countries have not announced any strikes on the group.

Al-Houthi said the pact was “a clear and blatant act of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” adding that the group was “not afraid of any alliance that may be formed.”

Egypt’s parliament voted to authorize military support for Saudi Arabia in a closed session Monday without publishing the tally, and no formal Saudi request for Egyptian troops has been announced. At least two-thirds of the chamber backed the measure, according to an official parliamentary statement.

The statement did not specify what kind of support Egypt would provide. Taher al-Khouly, deputy head of parliament’s legislative committee, told Reuters that Egypt would send forces to Saudi Arabia in coordination between the two countries and at Saudi Arabia’s request.

Several opposition groups opposed or declined to back the move. The Civil Democratic Movement, a coalition of opposition parties, rejected Egyptian military involvement in a regional war and said last week that Cairo’s role should focus on mediation.

In July, Yemen’s conflict flared up again as a fragile 2022 truce fell apart after the Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, in defiance of Saudi control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a spate of attacks.

The Houthis then declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships, territory and oil facilities, before launching a major offensive in September in which they seized Yemeni government-held territory along the Red Sea coast.

In response, the Houthis have reported frequent Saudi strikes targeting areas under their control.

In October, the Houthis ramped up their attacks on Saudi Arabia, killing several civilians and forcing the cancellation of flagship events and a shutdown of Riyadh airport for two weeks.

Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous state with one of the region’s largest militaries, joined the Saudi-led coalition in an earlier phase of Yemen’s war in March 2015 mainly as a naval partner, sending warships to secure Red Sea shipping lanes while pledging air support. It also deployed around 800 ground troops but played only a limited combat role.

Egypt was involved in a costly military intervention in Yemen in the 1960s and has not undertaken a large-scale ​foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.

Saudi Arabia is a major political and financial partner of Cairo, providing billions of dollars in aid, deposits at the central bank and energy supplies under President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.