Egypt's Parliament Authorizes Troops for Saudi Arabia as Houthi Attacks Escalate

Egypt's parliament voted on Monday to authorize President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia to help defend it against attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis. At least two-thirds of lawmakers backed the measure in a closed session with no public tally. It lets Sisi take whatever measures are necessary, but it does not define what support would involve, and Riyadh has made no formal request for troops. Sisi told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a letter that Egyptian help would defend Saudi territory and borders without reaching into Yemen. The Social Democratic Party caucus abstained, citing too little detail on cost and objectives. The vote followed weeks of intensifying Houthi strikes. An Oct. 10 attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities. The Saudi-led coalition counted 19 dead and 364 injured across Saudi airports. Also Monday, Iranian state television said Iran and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, signatories of the Mecca pact, held a first meeting in Tehran and agreed to keep talking about regional peace and security. Separately, an intelligence firm and Saudi and Houthi sources say Russian satellite data has aided Houthi and Iraqi militia strikes, including on a key Saudi pipeline.

Right-leaning outlets Breitbart and the Daily Caller both lead with the Egyptian vote and stress its defensive character. Breitbart adds the constitutional requirement for parliamentary approval, the Oct. 18 National Defense Council resolution and the Social Democrats' abstention. The Daily Caller relies on Reuters, noting the closed session, a legislator's statement that deployment would be at Riyadh's request, and a Senate speaker's "shield, not sword" line. It also gives the casualty figures, and its headline says Egypt "could" send troops. Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while right-leaning and alternative outlets had. Alternative sources take different angles. The Times of Israel reports Russian satellite help for Iran's allies' strikes on Saudi Arabia, citing an intelligence firm and Saudi and Houthi sources. The Hindu reports the Tehran meeting with Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish representatives, citing Iranian state media.