“Egypt and its parliament have expressed support for the so-called defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thereby declaring war on the Republic of Yemen,” Al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi political bureau, wrote in a post on Telegram.
Earlier, the Egyptian parliament had approved military support for the defense of Saudi Arabia amid an escalation in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement, local media reported.
Nearly 500 lawmakers requested to speak during the debate on the issue, Al Jazeera reported.
Under Article 152 of the Egyptian Constitution, the president cannot declare war or deploy armed forces without consulting the National Defense Council and obtaining the approval of two-thirds of lawmakers.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi asked parliament last week to approve the defense of his Gulf Arab ally and the world’s largest oil exporter if Riyadh requests assistance.
The Iran-backed Houthis attacked Riyadh International Airport and Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil giant, in October, disrupting flights and oil exports.
Egypt has frequently condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf countries but has refrained from direct military involvement and has not joined the mutual defense pact signed in Mecca by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey.
The most populous country in the Arab world, with one of the largest militaries in the region, joined the Saudi-led coalition during the early stages of the war in Yemen in March 2015, primarily as a naval partner.
