Is Egypt Quietly Coordinating with the Houthis?
Amid Red Sea tensions and economic fallout, report suggests backchannel talks between Cairo and Houthis to protect national interests.
Watan-Amid ongoing escalating tensions in the Red Sea and their serious impact on the Egyptian economy, an Israeli report has revealed possible signs of a covert relationship between the Egyptian regime, led by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Yemen’s Houthi movement.
The report, published by the Hebrew-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, questioned Egypt’s lack of military intervention against the Houthis, despite their continued targeting of Red Sea shipping routes—a situation that has cost Cairo over $800 million per month due to decreased revenues from the Suez Canal.
The paper highlighted that Egypt does not have a clear military strategy toward the Houthis and instead focuses on diplomatic solutions, seeking to avoid a repeat of the Yemeni war of the 1960s, in which thousands of Egyptian soldiers lost their lives. According to the report, the Egyptian regime indirectly blames Israel for the recent escalation in the Red Sea, viewing the war on Gaza as the primary trigger for the Houthis’ response.
Egypt Weighs Quiet Talks with Houthis
Notably, the report mentioned the possibility of secret consultations between Cairo and the Houthis taking place in Oman, in an attempt to reopen the Bab al-Mandab Strait and resume international maritime traffic. Although these details have not been officially confirmed, the newspaper affirmed that multiple indicators point to behind-the-scenes coordination.
Cairo fears further repercussions that could threaten tourism and investment, especially following the fall of a Yemeni missile in the South Sinai region. Egypt is also at risk of losing nearly $8 billion annually from national income due to the halt in Suez Canal transit, deepening the economic crisis in a country already struggling with unprecedented inflation and soaring prices.
While several countries are moving toward escalating military action against the Houthis, Cairo prefers diplomatic restraint, wary of entering a new war of attrition that could further destabilize its already fragile domestic situation. The crisis in the Red Sea now appears to be forcing Egypt into difficult choices—possibly pushing it to open back-channel communications with parties it previously considered adversaries, in a bid to salvage its crumbling economy.
