Allies move to bolster KSA defences

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that Egypt would defend Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries if requested, but ruled out military action against Yemen, as intensifying Houthi attacks prompted fresh diplomatic and defence moves by Riyadh's partners.

Sisi's comments came as Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. This was followed by French President Emmanuel Macron's surprise visit to Riyadh to demonstrate solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

According to Saudi state news agency SPA, Abdelatty delivered a written message from Sisi to King Salman. Sisi said Egypt's military support would be confined to protecting Saudi territory and borders, or those of another Arab country whose security and stability Cairo sought to defend.

Meanwhile, Turkiye plans to seek parliamentary authorisation to deploy military personnel to Saudi Arabia under its joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. A ruling party lawmaker said the mandate would be submitted after parliament ratified the accord, signed by the three countries in August.

The initial Turkish deployment would involve technical personnel and experts providing air-defence assistance, electronic warfare technology and other defensive support, the lawmaker told Reuters, adding that the Turkish personnel deployed under the pact would not participate in offensive operations.

French President Macron also arrived in Riyadh on a surprise visit intended to demonstrate solidarity with Saudi Arabia following weeks of Houthi attacks. His Gulf tour also aims to secure diesel and petrol supplies and diversify hydrocarbon sources amid rising energy prices and domestic unrest in France.

The attacks, meanwhile, continued on Wednesday, with the Houthis claiming to have targeted a Saudi operations room at Badr camp in Aden with a ballistic missile. Security sources said the attack hit a site near the airport belonging to forces from the Saudi-led coalition.

The group also targeted a military base at Al Rayyan airport in Al Mukalla with missiles and drones, according to military officials. The Saudi-led coalition separately said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi-launched drone over Saudi Arabia's southern region.

The escalation has opened another front in the wider Middle East conflict, which began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February and has threatened global energy supplies. Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised Yemeni government have faced sustained Houthi attacks.