El-Sisi meets CIA’s Ratcliffe as strikes on Riyadh escalate
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Cairo on Sunday to address the war on Iran, as the conflict spreads across multiple fronts following an Ansar Allah (Houthi) strike on Riyadh that prompted Washington to warn of possible “unexpected escalation.”
According to an Egyptian presidency statement, El-Sisi and Ratcliffe discussed strategic relations between Cairo and Washington along with regional developments, topped by the confrontation with Iran.
The talks, attended by head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Services (GIS) Maj. Gen. Hassan Rashad, addressed ways to restore security and stability, ensure the freedom of international navigation, and coordinate between Egyptian intelligence and the CIA on security files, developments in Gaza, Sudan, the Horn of Africa, and maritime security.
El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the security and sovereignty of Arab nations, rejecting any aggression against them. He stressed the necessity of resolving regional crises through political and diplomatic tracks that tackle root causes, while preserving national state institutions and territorial integrity.
This meeting follows others held days earlier in Cairo between El-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Those discussions were followed by reports that Saudi Arabia had formally requested air defense support from Egypt and other nations to counter Ansar Allah missiles and drones, as the kingdom faces an acute shortage of interceptor missiles.
The Cairo talks took place hours after Ansar Allah launched ballistic missiles and drones against Riyadh on Saturday, marking the first declared strike on the Saudi capital since the current wave of escalation began in July.
Ansar Allah military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced that the group carried out strikes targeting sensitive sites in Riyadh alongside Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu.
The group provided no independent proof that it hit the intended targets, while Saudi officials announced that their air defenses intercepted the incoming attacks and later lifted the alert in the capital.
However, smoke and flames were seen rising near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and videos and photos verified by Reuters showed thick black smoke billowing in the airport’s vicinity.
The strike on Riyadh marks a strategic shift, taking the war directly to the Saudi capital after previous rounds had largely targeted regions and installations across the kingdom’s south. The attack came as Ansar Allah conducted strikes on other Saudi sites and intensified operations along Yemen’s western coast and the Bab Al-Mandeb strait, placing mounting pressure on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Developments in Riyadh, prompted an immediate reaction in Washington, where US President Donald Trump cut short his stay at Camp David and returned to the White House a day earlier than scheduled, providing no public explanation for the decision.
Concurrently, the US State Department cautioned that the regional security landscape remains complex, warning of potential “unforseen escalation” and indicating that the fighting between Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia could broaden rapidly.
Washington instructed Americans outside the Middle East to reconsider traveling to the region, while warning US citizens already there of imminent flight cancellations, airspace shutdowns, and broader disruptions caused by military actions.
Against the backdrop of military escalation, Iran is laying down its terms to resolve the standoff it has created in the Middle East by shutting the Strait of Hormuz and directing the Houthis to apply pressure through Bab Al-Mandeb and attacks on Saudi Arabia, amid an ongoing war between Washington and Tehran.
Mohsen Rezaee, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated that Tehran has submitted its conditions to resume negotiations with the United States through mediators—including Qatar and Pakistan—and is awaiting Trump’s formal response.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Rezaee detailed that Tehran’s terms include halting the war across all operational fronts, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and lifting the US naval blockade.
By demanding an end to fighting on multiple fronts rather than agreeing to a narrow bilateral track, Iran has tied diplomatic progress directly to regional hostilities.
The crisis now stands between an expanding military campaign across Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and regional waterways, and political and intelligence maneuvers attempting to rein it in—leaving open the question of whether such talks can contain the fallout as strikes reach the Saudi capital and critical energy infrastructure.