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A senior Houthi official said Tuesday that Egypt’s parliamentary approval of military support for Saudi Arabia amounts to a declaration of war on Yemen, a day after Cairo moved closer to joining Riyadh's fight against the Iran-backed group.
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis' political bureau, also called on members of the Mecca defense pact, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, to leave the alliance, as their top officials held talks in Tehran on de-escalation on Monday.
"Egypt and its parliament declared support for what is called the defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in doing so, it declares war against the Republic of Yemen," Houthi said on Telegram.
He claimed the move also "renders a great service to Israel, the usurping occupying entity that is waiting for the opportunity to pounce on Sinai," adding that Egypt is being lured into war "as they were lured in the sixties."
Egypt’s parliament on Monday authorized President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to take "all necessary measures" to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against Houthi attacks.
At least two-thirds of lawmakers backed the measure in a closed session, according to a parliamentary statement, which did not publish the tally or specify the type of support. No formal Saudi request for Egyptian troops has been announced.
Taher al-Khouly, deputy head of parliament’s legislative committee, told Reuters that Egypt would send forces to Saudi Arabia in coordination between the two countries and at Riyadh's request.
Under Article 152 of Egypt’s Constitution, the president cannot deploy forces on combat missions abroad without consulting the National Defense Council and winning approval from two-thirds of parliament.
The Civil Democratic Movement opposition coalition rejected Egyptian military involvement, while the Egyptian Social Democratic Party said its lawmakers would abstain.
Egypt is not a member of the Mecca pact signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye.
"We call again on each of the members of this alliance called the ‘Alliance for the Defense of Mecca’ to leave this alliance," Houthi said, describing it as serving U.S. and Israeli policy.
"We are not afraid of any alliance that takes place, but we warn that these alliances must be directed against the usurping entity," he said, adding that neither Egypt, Türkiye nor Pakistan should support "the continuation of crimes" against Yemen.
He dismissed Saudi statements that its defense minister’s visit to Tehran aimed to de-escalate tensions, saying they "contradict its practical reality of escalation against our country and the siege on our country that has continued since 2015."
"The real action Saudi Arabia must take is to stop its aggression, lift its siege on our country and end its occupation of our homeland," Houthi said.
Ministers from the Mecca pact countries agreed at an emergency meeting in Riyadh earlier this month to ensure the "rapid deployment" of forces and military capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Britain said last week it would deploy Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon jets to help protect Saudi cities and infrastructure from Houthi attacks.
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