Egyptian Parliament Backs Military Aid to Saudi Arabia Against Houthis
WHO:
ABC News - Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Committee approved the defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, with votes from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party and its allies despite opposition objections.
ABC News - Committee chair Fuat Oktay said the pact would strengthen deterrence and cooperation and contribute to peace and stability; opposition legislator Semra Caglar Gokalp questioned whether it could entangle Turkey in other countries’ wars.
Al Jazeera - Egypt’s House of Representatives, chaired by Speaker Hisham Badawi, approved the mandate.
Al Jazeera - Egyptian former assistant foreign minister Hussein Haridy said Egypt’s role would be “purely defensive” and described the mandate as a precautionary measure.
Al Jazeera - Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo continued to favour a diplomatic settlement.
ABC News Business - Egypt’s parliament authorized President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia.
ABC News Business; IJR - Saudi Arabia and its kingdom are the intended recipients of support; Iran-backed Houthi rebels are identified as the attackers.
IJR - Riyadh is the party that may request the military support.
WHAT:
ABC News - The 16-article Mecca Joint Defense Agreement says an armed attack on one party is an attack on all three. It provides for military cooperation, joint weapons production, technology transfers and intelligence sharing, and binds the parties for 10 years.
ABC News - The agreement must still be debated and voted on by Turkey’s full assembly; no date has been set.
ABC News - Turkish officials said they were considering military support for Saudi Arabia, while stating that no Turkish troops would be deployed to fight in Yemen or attack the Houthis.
ABC News - Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan held ministerial meetings in Istanbul and Riyadh; delegations from the three countries also met in Tehran.
Al Jazeera - A parliamentary statement said the president was authorised to “undertake necessary” measures to assist Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requested help.
Al Jazeera - The mandate followed closed-door parliamentary discussions and an earlier postponement.
Al Jazeera - Egypt’s constitution requires approval from two-thirds of legislators before troops can be sent abroad on combat missions.
Al Jazeera - Egypt joined a Saudi-led campaign in Yemen in 2015, primarily using naval forces to help secure shipping routes; it has not made a large-scale foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.
Al Jazeera - President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Cairo to discuss regional tensions and peace efforts. Guterres urged “maximum restraint” and warned that further fighting could spiral out of control.
ABC News - The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed five tunnels used to store ballistic missiles, four ballistic missile launchers and another missile storage facility in Houthi-controlled territory.
ABC News - The coalition said the operation targeted Houthi supply lines, fortifications and military equipment along Yemen’s front lines.
ABC News - Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the rebels fired ballistic missiles at military gatherings and weapons depots belonging to Saudi-backed government forces in Aden and Lahj provinces; the claim could not be independently verified.
ABC News - Yemen’s government accused the Houthis of targeting displacement camps near Aden, but did not provide evidence.
ABC News - Israel’s defense minister said Israel had no intention of attacking Iran before the elections and said Israel would respond with great force if Iran attacked it.
ABC News - Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said neither President Trump nor anyone else could intervene in his decision about which party to ask to form a government.
ABC News Business - Egypt’s parliament voted to authorize el-Sissi to provide Saudi Arabia with military support.
IJR - The authorization allows support if Riyadh requests it; it does not mean troops will deploy immediately.
IJR - Separate reporting said Egyptian military transport aircraft had landed in Saudi Arabia, potentially indicating early logistical preparations.
WHERE:
Al Jazeera - Houthi attacks near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait disrupted shipping and reduced Suez Canal revenue.
ABC News - Explosions were reported in Sanaa and along Yemen’s Red Sea coast; residents in western Sanaa reported at least four blasts.
ABC News - Residents in Mokha reported damage to at least 10 houses and Mokha General Hospital after a rocket struck a residential building.
ABC News - Houthi-controlled media reported strikes on a solar power system and water well in Sanaa district, and in Saada and Taiz provinces.
ABC News - Pakistan’s army chief, Saudi defense minister and Turkish intelligence chief were reported to be meeting Iran’s top military official in Tehran.
ABC News Business - The support is intended to help defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks.
IJR - Egyptian military transport aircraft reportedly landed in Saudi Arabia.
WHY:
ABC News - Turkey’s opposition warned that the pact could expose Turkish soldiers to danger and draw the country into conflicts involving Pakistan, including tensions with India and along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.
Al Jazeera - Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s international airport and facilities belonging to Saudi state oil company Aramco disrupted flights and oil exports.
ABC News - The Saudi-led coalition said its operation aimed to reduce the Houthis’ ability to strike Saudi Arabia and disrupt their supply lines.
ABC News Business - The stated purpose of the military support is to defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
IJR - Houthi attacks were described as intensifying.
HOW:
Al Jazeera - President el-Sisi said any Egyptian military action would be limited to protecting Saudi territory and borders, not attacking Yemen.
ABC News - Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said the coalition would continue using “deterrent operational measures” to protect against Houthi attacks.
IJR - Egypt’s parliament granted the president authority to provide military support upon a Saudi request; the article distinguishes this authorization from an immediate troop deployment.
IJR - The reported aircraft landings involved Egyptian military transport aircraft; the article said they could indicate early logistical preparations.
(UPDATED October 27, 2026 15:05 UTC)
Egypt’s parliament authorized President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requests it, with el-Sissi saying any action would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders. Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Committee also approved a defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which includes a pledge that an attack on one party is an attack on all three, but the agreement still needs a vote by Turkey’s full assembly. As Yemen’s conflict intensifies, the Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed Houthi missile tunnels, launchers and storage facilities, while Egypt’s foreign minister continued to call for a diplomatic settlement.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 07:17 UTC)
Egypt’s parliament has authorized President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requests it, but the vote does not mean troops will deploy immediately. El-Sissi said any action would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders, while Egypt’s foreign minister said Cairo still favours a diplomatic settlement. The decision comes amid escalating Houthi attacks and Saudi-led coalition strikes in Yemen, with the coalition saying it targeted missile sites and supply lines.
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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 19:22 UTC)
Egypt’s parliament authorized President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requests it, though the vote does not mean troops will deploy immediately. The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed five tunnels used to store ballistic missiles, four missile launchers and another storage facility in Houthi-controlled territory, targeting supply lines and military equipment. Explosions were reported in Sanaa and along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, while residents in Mokha reported damage to homes and a hospital after a rocket struck a residential building.
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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 16:12 UTC)
Egypt’s parliament has authorized President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia to help defend against intensifying attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The authorization allows support if Riyadh requests it, but does not mean Egyptian troops will deploy immediately. Egyptian military transport aircraft have reportedly landed in Saudi Arabia, possibly indicating early logistical preparations.