Syria denies plans to send troops to Yemen amid military agreement with Saudi Arabia

Official denial

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Monday, November 9, that Syrian troops are not stationed in Yemen and that there is 'not even a plan' to do so in the near future. Speaking at a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Damascus, he stressed that the recent agreement was concluded with Saudi Arabia, not with the Yemeni government, and that any military deployment outside the country would be announced publicly rather than carried out secretly. This was reported by the agency Anadolu, as well as The National.

What is known about the agreement with Riyadh

The military cooperation agreement was signed on November 4 during Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa's visit to Riyadh, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; it was his second visit to the kingdom in a few weeks, and alongside the defense sphere, agreements on energy, infrastructure and other areas were signed. According to al-Shaibani, Syria is rebuilding its army and state institutions and is counting on Saudi expertise — from the defense industry to academic and technical training. On Saturday, a diplomatic source from the Syrian authorities told the SANA agency that the agreements are limited to training, exchange of experience and military consultations, and that Saudi coordination visits to Syria will begin in December; the cooperation, he said, 'could ultimately lead to a joint defense agreement or Syria's accession to the Mecca Defense Alliance' depending on shared interests. Earlier, at a forum in Manama, al-Shaibani said Damascus was in talks about joining this alliance, which includes Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.

Context of the statements

The official denial came amid reports that Syria was preparing to send troops to Saudi Arabia and Yemen to support operations against the Houthis — apparently the very publications that Damascus and the SANA source were refuting, with the source calling such reports 'unfounded.' Al-Shaibani confirmed support for the internationally recognized government of Yemen and condemned the Houthis' threats against Saudi Arabia, calling their attacks 'unjustified and illegal'; according to The National, in recent weeks the Houthis have repeatedly attacked the kingdom's airports, oil facilities and military sites with drones and missiles. The minister also spoke of the desire to build a regional security framework, since 'no country can ensure security on its own,' and stressed that Damascus is focused on rebuilding the country, returning refugees and reconstructing infrastructure. The outlet also notes a broader regional backdrop: last month Egypt's parliament authorized President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia, which, according to sources in Cairo, involves deploying air defense systems against low-flying missiles and drones; Egypt's army did not respond to the outlet's request.