Abu al-Gheit: Egypt’s Support for Saudi Arabia Is Essential, but Cairo Will Not Repeat Military Intervention in Yemen

Yemen Monitor / Newsroom: Former Arab League Secretary-General and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Egypt strongly supports Saudi Arabia, stressing that Egyptians have not forgotten the kingdom’s historic support for Egypt and other Arab countries. Speaking on the Egyptian television, Aboul Gheit said Saudi Arabia had turned to influential Islamic powers, including Turkey and Pakistan, which possesses nuclear weapons, in search of support. He was referring to the signing of the Mecca Defense Alliance agreement. He said recent threats, fighting and bombardments had exposed what he described as an unsatisfactory situation resulting from the two countries’ failure to intervene, arguing that Saudi Arabia should have received greater, clearer and more reassuring support. Aboul Gheit praised Egypt’s response to the developments, saying Cairo viewed the threats facing Saudi Arabia, the wider region and the Gulf as extremely serious and had therefore decided to support the kingdom. He stressed, however, that Egyptian support did not mean deploying Egyptian troops to fight on behalf of any party, reiterating that Egypt would not intervene militarily on Yemeni territory. He rejected comparisons between the current developments and Egypt’s military intervention in Yemen in 1962, saying that period had involved an Arab civil war fought on Yemeni soil. He described it as a painful chapter in history that should not be reopened. Aboul Gheit said Egyptian support for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states had become essential and should not be limited to moral backing. He stressed that Egypt’s role and regional responsibilities should not be overlooked amid threats to the region from missiles and drones. He said the national security of countries across the region was interconnected, adding that threats targeting the Gulf affected the security of the entire region. Addressing concerns about further escalation, Aboul Gheit said the strength of nations and societies was demonstrated by their ability to confront challenges. He rejected the notion that the response to missile and drone threats should simply be to take shelter and avoid confrontation. The post Abu al-Gheit: Egypt’s Support for Saudi Arabia Is Essential, but Cairo Will Not Repeat Military Intervention in Yemen appeared first on Yemen Monitor.