A Houthi official has condemned Egypt’s recent parliamentary authorization for military support to Saudi Arabia as a declaration of war against Yemen. The statement came on Tuesday from Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the group’s political bureau, amid ongoing efforts to ease regional tensions through diplomatic engagement.

Al-Houthi made the remarks in response to a Monday visit to Tehran involving Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir, and Turkey’s Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin. The delegation met with senior Iranian officials, including Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Masoud Pezeshkian, in discussions aimed at de-escalation in the Middle East.

The visit followed the recent signing of a defense pact in Mecca between Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey, designed as a mutual security agreement stipulating that an attack on one signatory would be considered an attack on all. The pact has drawn criticism from the Houthi leadership, with al-Houthi characterizing it as an aggressive move against Iran. He dismissed concerns about the alliance’s impact, asserting that the group would not be intimidated by any such coalition.

The conflict in Yemen has intensified since July when hostilities resumed after a fragile truce from 2022 collapsed. The Houthis’ decision to permit an Iranian aircraft to land in Sanaa, contravening Saudi-enforced controls over Yemeni airspace, triggered a series of retaliatory exchanges. Subsequently, the Houthis imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, launched attacks on Saudi vessels, infrastructure, and territory, and in September launched a major offensive capturing government-held areas along the Red Sea coast. Saudi Arabia has carried out frequent air strikes targeting Houthi-controlled regions in response.

In October, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia increased significantly, prompting the cancellation of several major events and leading to the closure of Riyadh’s main airport for two weeks.

Separately, Jordan reported on Tuesday that its military operations in Syria resulted in the deaths of more than 20 Islamic State fighters. The strikes, carried out the previous day, were described by government spokesman Mohammed Al Momani as retaliation for a recent deadly attack on a church, and included the destruction of a large weapons depot belonging to the militant group.