▲ Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
The Egyptian parliament approved military support on Monday, local time, to defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Attention is focused on whether Egypt, one of the Middle East's major military powers, will deploy large-scale ground troops overseas for the first time in 35 years since the 1991 Gulf War.
According to AFP and other media, the Egyptian House of Representatives passed a motion authorizing President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to take necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia at his request.
The lower house reportedly held three closed-door sessions on the matter and approved it after twice postponing the vote.
With this vote, the constitutional approval process required for overseas troop deployment has essentially been completed.
It remains unconfirmed what form of support Egypt, holder of the Arab world's largest military power, will provide.
The Egyptian military possesses hundreds of thousands of troops, fighter jets, and integrated air defense systems.
It has introduced military equipment from various countries including the United States, China, France, and Russia.
In this regard, President el-Sisi stated on October 21 that the nation's support is "aimed at defending Saudi territory and does not include attacks on Yemen."
As Egypt has not deployed large-scale ground troops over the past 30 years or so, some projections suggest this instance may also be limited to supporting Saudi defense through equipment assistance rather than dispatching troops.
Concerns are raised that if Egypt deploys ground troops or actively sides with Saudi Arabia, the military conflict could expand across the entire Middle East.
For this reason, a cautious stance surrounding troop deployment has also been raised within Egypt out of concern that the fallout could spread.
Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a blitz visit to Egypt last month and held talks with President el-Sisi as the Houthis intensified their offensives targeting Saudi Arabia.
At the time, the two countries discussed joint responses to security threats and the strengthening of economic and military cooperation, reaffirming their solid alliance.
Saudi Arabia is one of Egypt's strongest allies, and President el-Sisi's government has been supported by Riyadh since he ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, AFP reported.
AFP also pointed out that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia threaten the Suez Canal revenues, a major foreign currency earner for Egypt, and remittances from Egyptian workers employed in Saudi Arabia, presenting economic interests as well.
However, Egypt is not a party to the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" concluded between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey last August.
Similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Charter, the Mecca Agreement stipulates that an armed attack on one member state shall be considered an attack against all, and that parties must use "all necessary means" to eliminate threats to each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Senior officials from the three member states of the Mecca Agreement and Iran held talks in the Iranian capital of Tehran on that day.
Attendees reportedly discussed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, talks between the United States and Iran, and the issue of blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Previously, Iran also proposed mediation to end clashes between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.