Image source: SyriaAgency
On Monday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani denied that his country had deployed any forces in Yemen, or that there were plans to send forces in the near future, following reports about the deployment of Syrian soldiers in Saudi Arabia and Yemen to participate in military operations against the Houthis.
Al-Shaibani said, during a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Al-Safadi, in Damascus: “There is no deployment of forces in Yemen, and there is not even a close plan for this matter.”
He explained that the military cooperation agreement that Damascus signed with Riyadh focuses on "rebuilding the Syrian army" and cooperation in the field of "defense industries."
This denial comes after Agence France-Presse reported on Saturday, citing Yemeni military officials and sources linked to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, that Syria has already begun deploying hundreds of soldiers on both sides of the Saudi-Yemeni border, with plans to send thousands more to support government forces in confronting the Iran-backed Houthis.
According to a source in the Yemeni Presidential Command Council who spoke to the agency, Damascus and Riyadh agreed to send about three thousand Syrian soldiers in a first phase, in an arrangement that he said was approved during the visit of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Saudi Arabia last week.
The agency also quoted a senior source in the Yemeni Ministry of Defense that the number of Syrian forces that may be deployed in later stages could reach ten thousand soldiers, indicating the presence of Syrian and Saudi technical teams in Riyadh to complete arrangements related to the possible participation of Syrian forces in operations against the Houthis.
On Saturday, via the official Syrian news agency, SANA, a Syrian diplomatic source denied the validity of reports about sending forces to Yemen, stressing that Damascus is focusing on its internal affairs, and that military cooperation with Saudi Arabia aims to train forces and develop their capabilities.
Military cooperation and regional alliances
These developments come after Syria and Saudi Arabia signed cooperation agreements during President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh, including a defense cooperation agreement.
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Al-Shaibani announced last week that Damascus is considering the possibility of joining the “Mecca Defense Alliance,” which includes Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
The three countries signed the alliance agreement last August, which stipulates that any attack on one of the member states will be considered an attack against the three countries.
The Syrian News Agency quoted a diplomatic source as saying that the existing military cooperation with Riyadh may develop in the future into a joint defense agreement or Syria joining the coalition.
Saudi Arabia is one of the most prominent supporters of the new Syrian government that took power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, at a time when Damascus seeks to rebuild its military institutions and economy damaged by years of war.
The escalation of the confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis
Reports about the possible participation of Syrian forces coincide with the escalation of attacks launched by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, targeting airports, oil facilities, and strategic sites in the Kingdom.
Bloody attacks led to the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh for two weeks, before operations were partially resumed.
In light of this escalation, Riyadh seeks to mobilize regional and international military support to confront Houthi attacks and enhance the capabilities of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
The Egyptian Parliament approved President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s request to allow defensive military support to be provided to Saudi Arabia if it requests it, while France announced sending forces to help protect a strategic Saudi oil facility, and Britain announced the deployment of fighter planes to support the Kingdom in confronting the attacks.
Yemen has witnessed renewed military confrontations since last summer, following the collapse of a truce that lasted for about four years.
The Yemeni conflict dates back to 2014, when the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, before a Saudi-led military coalition intervened the following year in support of the Yemeni government.
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