On the way to sending forces to Saudi Arabia: Egyptian parliament to convene at Sisi's request

Egyptian parliament member Mustafa Bakri claimed that the National Defense Council approved sending forces to Saudi Arabia for a defensive mission. The parliament will convene today at 1:00 PM at the request of President Sisi, who called for an end to the war in the Gulf.

Egyptian parliament member Mustafa Bakri claimed this morning (Sunday) that the National Defense Council, headed by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, approved sending military forces to Saudi Arabia for a defensive mission. According to him, the parliament will convene at 1:00 PM to discuss the decision. The convening of parliament was approved yesterday in a notice to its members from the House of Representatives secretariat, following the president's request, but the agenda was not detailed. Bakri said in an interview with "Sada al-Balad" channel that the approval is intended to activate forces within a defined framework to defend the kingdom, at the request of the Saudi leadership. The move comes after Sisi called yesterday for the parliament to convene urgently, in a speech at a graduation ceremony at the military academy. The president clarified that Egypt is ready to take steps to defend Saudi Arabia in coordination with its leadership, and called for an end to the war in the Gulf. Sisi emphasized that this is a purely defensive deployment: "I am not talking about us fighting or attacking anyone, but for defense only."