Egypt's 'unconditional' support for Saudi Arabia

Washington, D.C. – Agencies: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced Egypt’s readiness to meet Saudi Arabia’s requests and provide unconditional support. Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings in Bangkok, Abdelatty stated that Cairo would respond to any request made by Riyadh, emphasizing its preparedness to provide various forms of assistance.

The minister’s remarks came in response to a question regarding the possibility of Egyptian military support for Saudi Arabia, without specifying the nature of the support the kingdom might seek. Abdelatty clarified that “Saudi national security is an integral part of Egyptian and Arab national security,” affirming that Egypt offers all forms of support and solidarity with the kingdom “without any reservations.” He stressed that Egypt does not accept attacks on Saudi territory and stands firmly by the kingdom’s side, adding, “Egypt fully condemns these attacks.”

In a separate development, Egypt called on Iran to immediately halt all attacks targeting Saudi territory, asserting that there is “no justification” for these assaults and that they are unacceptable. This statement followed a phone call yesterday between Abdelatty and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to discuss rapidly evolving developments in the region.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Abdelatty emphasized during the call the necessity of de-escalation and prioritizing diplomatic solutions, urging an immediate return to the negotiation and dialogue track between Tehran and Washington as the only means to resolve differences and prevent the region from sliding into further chaos and instability.

Meanwhile, in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said the Houthi militia in Yemen is committing “very wrong actions.” Describing the recent escalation in Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia to reporters at the White House, Trump stated, “This situation is not good at all.”

When asked by an Anadolu Agency reporter whether he saw a link between the surge in Houthi attacks and the upcoming U.S. midterm congressional elections, Trump replied, “I don’t know how it will affect the elections. I’m not taking that into account.” He added, “All I know is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and that is now a reality; they will never have a nuclear weapon. But the Houthis are acting wrongly.”

On the ground, the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s legitimate government announced the interception and destruction of a ballistic missile launched by the “terrorist” Houthi militia toward Riyadh. Earlier, Saudi Civil Defense had issued an early warning in Riyadh, urging residents to monitor official channels and adhere to instructions and guidelines to ensure their safety.

Later, the coalition announced in a statement the interception and destruction of two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militia toward Khamis Mushait.

In response, the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out 1,879 precise and direct targeting operations on Monday against legitimate military targets belonging to the Iran-backed “terrorist” Houthi militia, utilizing combat aircraft, drones, field artillery, rocket launchers, and sniper units, as part of the ongoing “Yemen Dawn” operation.

Colonel Majid Al-Nazili, the official spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, stated in a press release that preliminary estimates indicated the operations neutralized approximately 950 militia members and destroyed or damaged 380 military vehicles, equipment, and means, while also suppressing enemy fire sources and disrupting the command, control, and logistics systems.

The Yemeni Armed Forces targeted Houthi militia positions and concentrations in various areas of Marib Governorate, using artillery and drone strikes, inflicting casualties and damage to equipment. For its part, the Yemeni Rights and Freedoms Network documented 43 crimes and violations committed by the Houthi militia against civilians in Taiz Governorate over a 24-hour period. In a statement, the network said the violations included deliberate killings, indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods, and attacks on homes, private vehicles, health facilities, and mosques.