Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that Egypt's military support for Saudi Arabia would be limited to defending the kingdom's territory and borders and would not include an attack on Yemen, the Egyptian presidency said, as the Iran-allied Houthis intensify attacks on the kingdom, Reuters reported. Sisi said Egypt would also defend the territory of any other Arab country if asked, but its military effort would not extend beyond Egyptian territory or that of an Arab state whose security Cairo was seeking to protect.

Source: Reuters

Sisi's comments came as Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, the Saudi state news agency SPA said. Abdelatty delivered a written message from Sisi to King Salman affirming Egypt's full solidarity with and support for Saudi Arabia, Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement cited by Reuters.

Source: Reuters

Parliament vote delayed to October 26

On Monday, Egypt's parliament delayed until October 26 a vote on authorising the armed forces to support Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requests help, prolonging debate over how deeply Egypt should be drawn into the conflict, Reuters reported via The Business Standard. Under Egypt's constitution, a two-thirds parliamentary majority is required to approve sending the armed forces on a combat mission abroad, after consultation with the National Defence Council, which approved the request on Sunday. The opposition Egyptian Social Democratic Party instructed its lawmakers to abstain, saying parliament had not received sufficient information about the mission's objectives, duration, cost or risks to Egyptian troops.

Source: The Business Standard (Reuters)

The Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, called on Sunday for an urgent mediation effort by Arab and Muslim leaders to contain the conflict and avert further bloodshed, Reuters reported. Any Egyptian military backing for Saudi Arabia could mark a significant escalation in the broader Middle East conflict, which has threatened global energy supplies and pushed oil prices higher since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, Reuters noted. Saudi authorities reported that an attack on Riyadh's international airport on October 10 killed 13 people.