Egypt offers military support as Houthi-Saudi clashes escalate
Clashes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis intensified over the past 24 hours, with retaliatory strikes hitting oil facilities and raising fears that the fighting could spill into the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait. Separately, regional and international efforts are underway to provide “whatever is being asked by the Saudis.”
Fears of a wider conflict are mounting as regional and international powers move to offer tangible support to Riyadh rather than issuing standard condemnations or calls for calm, at a time when Saudi Arabia is seeking to reassert control over Yemeni coastal areas and secure the southern entrance to the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait.
Saturday’s attack by Ansar Allah on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 13 people, wounded more than 300, and prompted a temporary halt to air traffic.
The Saudi-led coalition responded with airstrikes on Tuesday evening against oil facilities in Sanaa and the governorates of Dhamar and Saada. The coalition said the targeted sites were being used to support the group’s war effort, adding that the operation aimed to curb the group’s ability to threaten Saudi Arabia and international waterways.
The strikes hit the Yemen Petroleum Company’s Al-Sabahah station on the outskirts of Sanaa, following coalition evacuation warnings to civilians. The Ansar Allah-run Al-Masirah channel confirmed the site was targeted.
At dawn on Wednesday, Yemen’s Ansar Allah group launched a missile and drone attack on the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Saudi authorities said air defenses intercepted the barrage, but falling debris from two missiles injured four people and damaged 15 homes, while a fire broke out at an administrative building belonging to Aramco in the eastern city of Dhahran.
Saudi Civil Defense stated that the injured included two women, a man, and a child, adding that the residential damage was limited.
Reuters cited an Aramco source as saying a ballistic missile struck an office tower inside the company’s headquarters complex in Dhahran, damaging its top three floors.
Who is backing Riyadh
On Oct. 5, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey agreed to immediately operationalize mutual defense commitments and ensure the “rapid deployment” of agreed military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
The joint Oct. 5 statement added that the decision was reached during an emergency meeting of the Mecca Defense Alliance’s political and defense strategy committee in Riyadh, and would proceed “in accordance with approved arrangements and the domestic legislation of member states.”
On Tuesday evening, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said in an interview with Bloomberg that Egypt stands ready to provide all forms of assistance to Saudi Arabia, including military support if requested.
The statement marks the first public comment by an Egyptian official since bin Salman and El-Sisi met in Cairo last month.
Abdelatty noted that Cairo is seriously considering joining the Mecca Alliance, which comprises Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, though he stopped short of announcing any deployment of troops or direct involvement in military operations.
Abdelatty warned that escalating tensions in the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait would severely disrupt Suez Canal shipping, noting growing fears over widening clashes that threaten global maritime trade routes.
Regarding the latest developments, US President Donald Trump said the Iran-aligned “Houthis are behaving very badly,” though he declined to say whether the United States would launch strikes against them.
Trump confirmed he spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though he withheld details of the call or the specific support Washington might extend to the kingdom. Asked about the discussion, he replied: “Do you really think I can tell you that? I’d love to tell you, but I’m not going to tell you that.”
Trump added that he believes Turkey would join the fight against Ansar Allah if asked, calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “great friend” who “would do as I ask.” Trump did not state whether he had formally made such a request to Ankara or whether Turkey had agreed to take part.
The remarks contrast with Washington’s firmer stance last month, when the administration refused to provide direct military support because “they would much prefer not having us involved.” Washington limited its assistance at the time to intelligence support and help identifying targets.
Iran’s call for a political track
Conversely, Iran, which backs Ansar Allah, warned against further military escalation and urged a political settlement. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated on October 2 that Tehran had proposed opening diplomatic channels with Ansar Allah, suggesting that member states of the Mecca Alliance consider the initiative as an alternative to military intervention.
Dar clarified that the proposal was not submitted as a formal written offer, but was instead floated during consultations between the Iranian and Pakistani foreign ministers.
Following the attack on Riyadh airport, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, warning that insisting on the military option and ignoring a political solution would further complicate the situation, while offering Tehran’s assistance to facilitate dialogue.
Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing the Conflict Armament Research group, that the Houthis are seeking to manufacture medium-range ballistic missiles using components sourced from Chinese suppliers. The transfers could enable the group to produce a domestic variant of Iran’s Kheibar Shekan missile, with an estimated range of roughly 1,930 kilometers that would place both Saudi Arabia and Israel within reach.
The investigation cited two shipments intercepted by Yemeni authorities last year containing metal motor casings, rocket frames, guidance fins, testing instruments, and thermal shielding materials. Defense experts said the hardware suggests Ansar Allah may be initiating local production, though its actual progress remains unclear.
Analysts cited by the newspaper said Ansar Allah has steadily enhanced its domestic arms manufacturing capacity and diversified its procurement networks after years of relying primarily on Iran and Hezbollah, forging ties with commercial Chinese suppliers and international front companies.
United Nations data indicates that China remains a primary source of seized dual-use goods bound for Ansar Allah-held territory, while experts noted that illicit shipments of solid-fuel missile components have been ongoing for at least two years.
Beijing maintains that it strictly complies with the UN arms embargo on Ansar Allah, though several intercepted items appear custom-engineered for missiles, while others serve dual civilian and military uses.