El-Sisi: Egypt Ready to Defend Saudi Arabia if Asked

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi affirmed that Egypt will take all necessary measures to protect and defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in accordance with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

This came during a graduation ceremony for the first class of Egypt's military academy in Cairo, in which El-Sisi clarified that any Egyptian move — should it be requested — would be defensive in nature and not directed at attacking any party.

However, El-Sisi explicitly conditioned action on obtaining approval from the Egyptian parliament before taking any measure, calling for a parliamentary session to grant the necessary authorization if such a request were to come.

He stated that Egypt will not accept anyone harming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or its security or stability, affirming Cairo's readiness to stand alongside its Gulf brethren.

What remains unsaid: Riyadh has issued no comment on El-Sisi's statements and has not confirmed that it has requested or will request any Egyptian military role. Likewise, no specific threat has been identified that prompted the Egyptian president to make this public announcement.

El-Sisi called for an end to the ongoing conflict in the region, expressing hope that military operations would cease.