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Egypt Agrees to Aid Saudi Arabia in Houthi Conflict
Confirmed
In Short: Egypt's National Defense Council, chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, has agreed to provide 'all possible forms of support' to Saudi Arabia to defend its security against Houthi attacks.
The Houthis, backed by Iran, have launched over 110 missiles and airstrikes against Saudi Arabia, targeting civilian sites in Sanaa and other cities.
Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, reported that these attacks have killed or wounded over 30 people in the past 24 hours.
In response to the escalating conflict, Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world’s foremost religious institution in Egypt, called for the formation of an 'urgent mediation committee' to end regional conflicts.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke by phone about the latest regional developments, reflecting the complex diplomatic landscape.
The Saudi diplomat said the kingdom had attempted to negotiate with the Houthis in July but the rebels refused to participate, insisting on humanitarian demands that Saudi Arabia did not meet.
The Houthis have targeted airports and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, posing a significant challenge to interceptors due to their advanced weaponry.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's defense minister met with the United Arab Emirates president to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation.
On Sunday, a Saudi helicopter gunship crashed near Najran, killing its two-member crew, while a projectile fired by the Houthis landed in a residential area, wounding six people.
The Houthis have resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia because the kingdom supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government in the civil war.
Egypt’s parliament is considering President el-Sissi’s request to authorize forces to defend Saudi Arabia if Riyadh asks, with a vote due after Tuesday.
If approved, this would mark Egypt’s first authorized combat deployment abroad since 2015, when it joined the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in a limited role.
The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia has urged American citizens to remain vigilant over the current security situation and the potential for drone or missile attacks.
What this adds
The Houthis' attacks have disrupted shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, impacting regional and global trade.
What's confirmed
- Published : October 19, 2026 at 10:53 AM IST Cairo: Egypt's top security body said Sunday it has agreed to support close ally Saudi Arabia in the major escalation of fighting between the kingdom and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has marked the latest front in the Iran war.
- Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, said 110 missiles or airstrikes were carried out against civilian sites in Sanaa and other cities.
- The rebels said attacks by Saudi-led forces had killed or wounded over 30 people in the past 24 hours.
- On Sunday, the Sunni Muslim world’s foremost religious institution, Al-Azhar in Egypt, called for the formation of an “urgent mediation committee” to end conflicts across the Arab region.
- Chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the National Defense Council decided to provide “all possible forms of support” to enable Saudi Arabia to defend its security, according to a presidential statement.
- A Saudi diplomat last week in a rare briefing said the kingdom had called for a meeting in Oman with the Houthis in July “to resolve outstanding differences and bring an end to this escalation,” but the rebels refused to participate.
- The Egyptian announcement on military assistance came a month after a visit by the Saudi crown prince.
- The Houthis have repeatedly attacked airports and oil infrastructure across the kingdom with drones and missiles that can change direction during flight, posing a challenge to interceptors.
- Also on Sunday, the Saudi defense minister was meeting with the United Arab Emirates president about ways to strengthen cooperation, according to the UAE’s news agency WAM.
- Across the border in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi helicopter gunship crashed near the city of Najran in the southwest, killing its two-member crew, a Saudi military spokesperson said, citing a technical malfunction.
- Later, Saudi Civil Defense authorities said a projectile fired by the Houthis landed in a residential area of Najran province, wounding six people.
- Accusations are traded and a call for mediation is made The Houthis have resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks because the kingdom has supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government in the civil war.
What's still developing
- The deadliest single strike this month, on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300, Saudi authorities said.
- Saudi Arabia has said that a drone launched by the Houthis towards Mecca has been intercepted and destroyed, in an escalation that could threaten the holy city.
- “The sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques and the safety of worshippers and pilgrims must be respected under all circumstances,” the FO said.
- Since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, Tehran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while its Houthi allies in Yemen have subsequently done the same in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
- Abdelatty reiterated Cairo’s condemnation of all attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and affirmed his country’s full support for the security and stability of the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
- More than 10 years have passed since the conflict began in 2015, but the Houthis still control large parts of Yemen.
- The AFC Champions League Elite match between Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s Al Nassr and Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana was delayed by an hour after Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued a security alert.
- U.S. Gasoline Prices Set October Record Even as National Average Slips What I Cover Irina Slav has been writing about global energy markets since 2007, covering the oil and gas industry, energy security, commodities, and the… Crude oil prices, which dipped on Tuesday, reversed their direction, with Brent ticking above $100 again earlier today following reports of fresh Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure.
- Yemen’s Houthis launched ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones at Aden International Airport early Wednesday as the group intensified attacks across Yemen and Saudi Arabia amid a widening government counteroffensive.
- Iran must "end its arming of and support" for the Houthis in Yemen, the foreign ministers of G7 nations have said in a joint statement.