Syria Considers Joining “Mecca Coalition” Amid Escalating War with Houthis

Yemen Monitor / Agencies / Exclusive: Syria announced on Saturday that it is holding discussions to evaluate the possibility of joining the mutual defense pact comprising Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, a step that could pave the way for Damascus to enter the regional alliance forming alongside the escalating war between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen. The New York Times quoted Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani as saying during his participation in the Manama Dialogue Security Summit in Bahrain that “discussions are currently underway to assess Syria’s accession to the Mecca coalition,” referring to the mutual defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan last August. Al-Shaibani emphasized that Syria considers defending the Arab Gulf states a vital component of its own national security, stating that “Syria will stand alongside all Gulf states,” while noting that those countries face challenges posed by “cross-border militias.” It remains unclear whether potential Syrian support would include deploying military forces to participate in the ongoing war in Yemen, particularly since Syrian authorities had earlier in October denied reports of a Saudi request to deploy Syrian troops, maintaining that national priorities remain focused on rebuilding the country. Under the “Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement,” an armed attack against any of the three signatories is considered an attack against all parties, mirroring the collective defense principle adopted by NATO. The three member nations agreed earlier this October to prepare for the rapid deployment of military forces to Saudi Arabia as Houthis intensified their missile and drone strikes targeting the Kingdom’s territory. Rapprochement Between Damascus and Riyadh Confronts Syria with New Calculations The newspaper noted that Syria’s potential joining of the defense pact comes as the government of President Ahmed Al-Sharaa attempts to avoid entanglement in regional conflicts while continuing reconstruction efforts following nearly 14 years of civil war. However, growing Syrian-Saudi ties could make maintaining this neutral stance far more complex, according to analysts cited by the newspaper. Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the most prominent diplomatic and economic supporters of Syria since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime by opposition factions led by Al-Sharaa, ending more than five decades of rule by the Assad family, which held close ties with Iran, Riyadh’s regional rival. Earlier in October, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, where both sides discussed investments and regional security, according to a statement issued by the Syrian Presidency. Escalating War in Yemen Broadens Regional Response Syria’s moves unfold amid mounting military pressure on Saudi Arabia following the resumption of large-scale hostilities in Yemen, ending years of relative calm that followed the UN-brokered truce in 2022. The Houthi group had taken control of the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, in 2014, before Saudi Arabia launched an aerial military campaign the following year in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Military operations intensified further this year, coinciding with the broader U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. According to World Health Organization data cited by the newspaper, clashes in Yemen since last August have killed at least 1,677 people and injured over 7,300 others, while the UN announced the displacement of nearly 300,000 Yemenis, worsening the country’s humanitarian crisis. In Saudi Arabia, Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting airports and vital infrastructure have killed at least 19 people and injured hundreds of others, according to the Saudi-led military coalition. The attacks have also caused widespread disruptions to air traffic, posing growing challenges to Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to become a global hub for tourism and business. In another sign of the widening regional response to the escalation, Egypt permitted military aid to be provided to Saudi Arabia this week, despite not being a party to the Mecca defense agreement. The Saudi-led coalition announced Saturday the interception of three drones in Saudi airspace, one of them near the capital, Riyadh. Taiz at the Heart of Military Confrontations The newspaper pointed out that the city of Taiz, one of Yemen’s largest cities, has over recent weeks turned into a major battleground between Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthi group. Houthi control and closure of main access roads into the city have led to a drop in food, water, and fuel supplies available to residents amid worsening humanitarian conditions. Taiz holds strategic importance due to its location at the junction between Houthi-controlled northern areas and government-controlled southern regions, in addition to its connection to the Red Sea’s western coast. According to the newspaper, Houthi control over the city would allow them to increase pressure on government forces and consolidate their hold over Red Sea coastal areas. In a separate development, the United Nations announced Saturday the death of Muhammad Al-Shami, a Yemeni employee at the UN Human Rights Office, while in Houthi custody following his arrest in June 2024. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for an independent investigation into the circumstances of his death amid renewed international scrutiny over the Houthis’ two-year detention of UN personnel and humanitarian workers. The post Syria Considers Joining “Mecca Coalition” Amid Escalating War with Houthis appeared first on Yemen Monitor.