Egypt: prepared to invade Yemen "if necessary"

The Egyptian army may join the Saudi-led military operation which was launched yesterday to fight the Iranian-backed Houthis

Photo credit: Reuters/Channel 2 News

Egypt's president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said Thursday that his country is prepared to send ground troops into Yemen if necessary, as part of a recently launched military campaign led by Saudi Arabia and supported by nine other states.

The campaign's aim is to push back the Iranian-backed Shia Houthi rebels, who have been battling violently to oust Yemen's president Abd Rabbuh Hadi. Senior Egyptian military officials told The Associated Press that plans for a possible invasion were already underway, since there was little chance of pushing back the Houthis with air strikes only.

Earlier today, Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir issued a statement announcing the beginning of the offensive. This is the first time Yemen's Sunni allies join forces to stop Iran from conquering the region. The current main focus of the campaign is to prevent Yemen's seaport city of Aden from being captured by the Houthis.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif denounced the Saudi attacks, saying they threaten Yemen's sovereignty and will only lead to bloodshed.