CAIRO, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that Egyptian forces have been present in Saudi Arabia for several months to support the kingdom's defense, amid earlier military escalation involving Iran and attacks against the kingdom, according to media reports Monday evening.
In an interview with the French broadcaster France 24 aired Monday evening, Abdelatty said Egypt's parliament had authorized President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to take measures he deemed necessary to strengthen Saudi defensive capabilities.
"Saudi Arabia's security is part of Egypt's security," he said.
Abdelatty stressed that Egypt's military support is strictly defensive and limited to Saudi territory, without crossing the border into Yemen.
He declined to give further details on weapons or troops.
Responding to claims that Yemen's Houthis viewed Egypt's move as a declaration of war, Abdelatty reiterated that Cairo's role is purely defensive, stressing that Egypt favors de-escalation and political solutions rather than military confrontation.
On U.S.-Iran tensions, Abdelatty said the two sides have some convergence on the basic elements of a potential deal, but differences remain over the sequence of steps, calling for flexibility and compromise from both sides.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz. ■
