Plan to Deploy Six Thousand Egyptian Troops to Yemen
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced that his country will take the necessary measures to defend Saudi Arabia if it receives an official request.
The issue arose as the conflict in Yemen escalated after a period of reduced tension, alongside Ansarallah missile and drone attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia. These attacks have increased concerns about the expansion of the conflict.
Egypt intervened in the Yemeni civil war in the 1960s during Gamal Abdel Nasser’s era. Egyptian forces entered battle to support the republicans against the monarchists. This intervention had significant human, military, and economic costs for Cairo. In recent years, Egypt has avoided direct and costly involvement in regional wars.
Retaking coastal areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait has been cited as an objective of military operations by Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces. The Bab al-Mandab Strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is important for global trade and Saudi Arabia’s oil exports. In its October 2 report, Axios wrote that Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces had planned a large-scale counterattack against Ansarallah.
The security of the Red Sea is directly important to Egypt; the Suez Canal is one of Egypt’s main foreign trade routes and an important source of foreign currency revenue. Long-term insecurity along Red Sea shipping routes leads to reduced ship traffic and increased pressure on Egypt’s economy.
Ground participation in the Yemen conflict carries risks beyond protecting maritime routes. In recent years, Ansarallah has increased its ability to use missiles and drones, and attacks on Saudi targets have shown that confronting this group is not easy by relying solely on military superiority.
Saudi Arabia is seeking to increase regional support to confront Ansarallah. At the same time, reports have been published about examining Syrian military participation; this issue should be separated from confirmed participation by forces from other countries.
Regarding Egypt, a political declaration of readiness to defend Saudi Arabia differs from confirmed deployment of troops to Yemeni territory. On October 17, Sisi announced that possible military action requires an official request and parliamentary approval.
