Egyptian troops have been stationed in Saudi Arabia for several months, Egypt's foreign minister has said, disclosing a deployment that Cairo had not previously announced. Badr Abdelatty said the force was there at Riyadh's request and that Egypt is now reinforcing it.

Abdelatty made the disclosure in an English-language interview with France 24, broadcast on Monday while he was in Paris for a meeting of G7 foreign ministers. He said the troops arrived a few months ago, after attacks on the kingdom during the escalation with Iran, and he declined to give details of the number of troops or the weapons involved.

He described the mission as defensive, saying it would include air defence capabilities to protect sensitive sites in the kingdom, including the holy places. He said Egyptian forces would not cross from Saudi territory into Yemen.

Defensive mission, Cairo says

Abdelatty said Egypt already had a military presence in the kingdom and was strengthening it, stressing that it was mainly for defensive objectives. He played down a warning from Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis' political council, who described Egyptian military support for Saudi Arabia as a declaration of war.

The foreign minister said another senior Houthi official had welcomed any Egyptian effort to mediate and that there was no military solution to the conflict. He said Egypt remained in contact with the parties, particularly Iran and the United States, to prevent a wider escalation, and that freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea was among Cairo's priorities.

In the same interview, Abdelatty said he believed Iran and the United States both wanted to negotiate, but that a concrete deal was needed to prevent another round of escalation. He also said he was confident that US military aid to Egypt would continue.

Parliament vote came after troops arrived

Egypt's parliament voted in late October to authorise President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to provide defensive military support to Saudi Arabia at Riyadh's request. Some lawmakers have said they were given no details on the size or scope of the planned deployment, and it was not clear at the time whether they knew Egyptian troops were already in the country.

Saudi Arabia has not commented publicly on the Egyptian role. The timing raises questions in Cairo about the sequence of events, because the deployment appears to have begun before parliament gave its approval on 26 October.

Houthi attacks continue

The Houthis have attacked Saudi Arabia almost daily since fighting between the group and the Saudi-led coalition resumed in July, hitting Aramco facilities and Riyadh's main airport. Saudi authorities have accused the group of targeting the Mecca and Medina regions, which the Houthis deny.

On Tuesday the coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile and a cruise missile fired at Riyadh. Britain has said it will send fighter jets to the kingdom, and France has said it is helping protect energy sites.