Breaking: Yemen’s Houthis Declare War on Egypt

Yemen’s Houthi movement declared war on Egypt on Tuesday (27 October 2026), after the Egyptian parliament decided that the government could provide military support to Saudi Arabia.

The Iran-backed Houthis are fighting Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government. On Tuesday, ballistic missile and drone attacks were reported to be continuing against the kingdom.

“Egypt and its parliament have declared their support for what they call the defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi political bureau, said in a Telegram post.

“Accordingly, they have declared war on the Republic of Yemen,” he added.

Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that Egypt’s House of Representatives, chaired by Hisham Badawi, approved the mandate in a vote on Monday. According to a parliamentary statement, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been authorised to take the necessary steps to support Saudi Arabia in defending itself if Riyadh formally requests assistance.

Nawaf Obaid, a senior researcher at King’s College London, said Saudi officials had been seeking assurance that Egypt would support the kingdom if asked. He said the vote was Cairo’s way of signalling that it would be there to help.

The Houthis have carried out several deadly attacks on Riyadh’s international airport and facilities belonging to Saudi state oil company Aramco. The attacks have disrupted civilian flight schedules and hampered oil exports.

The developments have heightened concerns and instability across the Middle East, where several conflicts remain unresolved, including the war between Iran and the United States and the wars involving Israel in Gaza and Lebanon.