Syria is in discussions to join a regional defense alliance with Saudi Arabia, its foreign minister revealed on Saturday, signaling a potential shift in Damascus’s role amid the escalating conflict in Yemen. The announcement was made by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani at the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.
The alliance in question, known as the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, was established in August and currently includes Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. It commits members to collective defense, treating an armed attack on any one member as an attack on all, similar to NATO’s framework. The pact also involves the preparation for rapid military deployment to Saudi Arabia in response to intensified attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia targeting the kingdom.
Al-Shaibani emphasized Syria’s intention to support Gulf countries against cross-border militia threats, describing their defense as vital to Syria’s own security. However, he did not clarify whether this support would involve deploying Syrian forces to Yemen.
Since assuming power nearly two years ago, President Ahmed al-Sharaa has focused on rebuilding Syria following nearly 14 years of civil war and has generally sought to avoid regional entanglements. Syrian officials last month denied reports that Saudi Arabia had requested deployment of Syrian troops to Yemen, underscoring Damascus’s priority on reconstruction efforts.
Nonetheless, Syria’s improving relations with Saudi Arabia may influence its stance. Saudi Arabia has grown as a diplomatic and economic backer of Syria since the rise of al-Sharaa’s government, representing a notable realignment as the Assad family—long allied with Iran—was displaced. Earlier this year, al-Sharaa met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh to discuss investment opportunities and regional security.
The renewed interest in the defense pact comes amid a surge in hostilities in Yemen and Saudi Arabia after years of relative quiet. The conflict escalated in 2014 when Houthi forces captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, prompting Saudi Arabia to launch a bombing campaign in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 had reduced fighting, but outbreaks of violence have increased this year amid heightened regional tensions influenced by the broader U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
The World Health Organization reports at least 1,677 deaths and over 7,300 injuries in Yemen since August. The United Nations estimates that nearly 300,000 Yemenis have been displaced amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has faced sustained missile and drone strikes from the Houthis, resulting in at least 19 deaths and hundreds of injuries, according to the Saudi-led coalition. These attacks have targeted infrastructure and airports, raising concerns about their impact on Saudi Arabia’s goals to develop as a global business hub.
In response to the escalations, Egypt, which is not a member of the Mecca pact, recently approved military assistance to Saudi Arabia, signaling a broader regional mobilization. The Saudi coalition reported intercepting three drones over Saudi territory, including one near Riyadh.
In Yemen’s Taiz Province, a Saudi airstrike injured six people, including three children, according to Houthi authorities. Taiz has become a focal point in recent fighting, with Houthis blocking access routes to the city, exacerbating shortages of food, water, and fuel. Control of Taiz is strategically important, connecting Houthi-controlled northern Yemen with government-held southern regions and the Red Sea coast, potentially strengthening Houthi influence in the area.