According to Iran's Labor News Agency (ILNA), the Egyptian parliament is scheduled to review a request from President Sisi on Sunday, deciding whether to authorize the government to take military action abroad if necessary to defend Saudi Arabia. Sisi stated that Egypt has no intention of seeking a special role, but cannot stand idly by while Saudi Arabia and its stability are threatened. Under the Egyptian constitution, the deployment of troops abroad for combat missions requires parliamentary approval. Saudi media predict that parliament may pass the authorization with a two-thirds majority, providing a legal basis for Egypt to respond to formal military requests from Saudi Arabia in the future. However, the authorization itself does not mean that Egypt will immediately enter the war.
The potential military intervention has raised concerns that Egypt may repeat its historical mistakes. In the 1960s, Egypt intervened militarily in Yemen to support the republicans, engaging in a protracted war with the Saudi-backed royalists, resulting in heavy personnel and economic losses and weakening the Egyptian military. There is also division within Egypt regarding this matter. Supporters argue that the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states is crucial to the overall security of Egypt and the Arab world, and that Egypt should repay these countries for past assistance. Opponents, however, worry that overseas military operations will exacerbate Egypt's economic burden, drag the military into a protracted war of attrition, and distract it from addressing domestic development and water security issues.
