SANAA: A Houthi official said Tuesday that the Egyptian parliament’s decision to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia to defend against attacks by the Iran-backed group amounted to a declaration of war.
The comment came in a lengthy statement responding to a visit to Tehran on Monday by the Saudi defence minister, Pakistan’s army chief and Turkey’s intelligence chief, aimed at de-escalating tensions amid the Middle East war.
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“It is truly remarkable that while these people go to discuss what they call ‘peace in the region’, Egypt and its parliament declare support for the so-called defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in doing so, declare war against the Republic of Yemen,” said Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, in a Telegram post.
Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir and Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin attended the talks with Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
They also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iran, Pakistan and Turkey recently signed a NATO-style defence pact in Mecca stipulating that an attack on one country would be considered an attack on all three.
However, since the Houthis stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia earlier this month, neither of the other two countries has announced any strikes against the group.
Al-Houthi described the pact as “a clear and blatant act of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran”, adding that the group was “not afraid of any alliance that may be formed”.
In July, Yemen’s conflict flared up again as a fragile truce agreed in 2022 collapsed after the Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in the capital, Sanaa, defying Saudi control over Yemeni airspace and triggering a series of attacks.
The Houthis subsequently declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began targeting its ships, territory and oil facilities. In September, they launched a major offensive and seized territory held by the Yemeni government along the Red Sea coast.
In response, the Houthis have reported frequent Saudi strikes targeting areas under their control.
In October, the Houthis intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, forcing the cancellation of major events and the closure of Riyadh airport for two weeks.
