Egypt’s president says country ready to defend Saudi Arabia ‘if requested’

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt was ready to defend Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requested it, as fighting intensifies between the kingdom and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. He said any deployment would require parliamentary approval and stressed that he was speaking only about defence, not attacking anyone. Houthi attacks and the blockade of the Bab al-Mandab Strait threaten Saudi energy exports and Suez Canal revenues, which Egypt says have fallen by about $11 billion since attacks on commercial ships began. Egypt has not joined the defence pact signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, generally favouring diplomacy.