CAIRO — Egypt’s top security body announced Sunday that it has agreed to support close ally Saudi Arabia amid a major escalation in fighting between the kingdom and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, creating a new front in the broader regional conflict.
Saudi Arabia has actively pressed its allies for military assistance as the Houthis escalate attacks using drones and missiles capable of altering direction mid-flight, presenting a significant interception challenge. These cross-border strikes have targeted airports and oil infrastructure across the kingdom, resulting in at least 19 deaths, disrupting thousands of flights, and rattling global financial markets.
The Egyptian announcement followed a visit by the Saudi crown prince a month prior. Chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the National Defense Council resolved to provide “all possible forms of support” to help secure Saudi Arabia, according to an official presidential statement. While the council did not disclose specific operational details, President el-Sissi had requested authorization from parliament on Saturday to deploy troops and military equipment abroad.
Parallel diplomatic and military engagements continued across the region. On Sunday, the Saudi defense minister met with the United Arab Emirates president to discuss strengthened cooperation, according to the UAE news agency WAM. The two nations experienced strained relations in the recent past while supporting competing factions within the Yemeni coalition fighting the rebels. Later Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a telephone conversation addressing regional developments.
The surge in hostilities has severely threatened civilians in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen, where the civil war has reignited. In Yemen, attacks over the past week targeted the airport and a government palace in Aden, the interim capital of the internationally recognized government. On Sunday, an airstrike struck a house in the Sahar district of Yemen’s rebel-held northern province of Saada, killing at least nine people, including five children and two women, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry.
Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi stated that the strike wounded 19 others, including 11 children, with several individuals in critical condition. Al-Asbahi attributed the attack to Saudi Arabia, though the kingdom provided no immediate comment. Footage broadcast by the Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite channel showed individuals clearing debris by hand and rescuing two youths from the rubble. The rebels asserted that Saudi-led forces killed or wounded more than 30 people within a 24-hour period, with Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claiming that 110 missiles or airstrikes hit civilian sites in Sanaa and other cities. Those figures could not be independently verified.
Within Saudi Arabia, military and civil defense officials reported distinct incidents near the border. A Saudi helicopter gunship crashed near the southwestern city of Najran, killing its two-member crew. A Saudi military spokesperson attributed the crash to a technical malfunction, countering earlier Houthi claims of having shot down the aircraft. Separately, Saudi Civil Defense authorities reported that a projectile fired by the Houthis struck a residential neighborhood in Najran province, injuring six people.
