Syria denies Yemen troop deployment, says Saudi deal excludes forces

Denial of Yemen deployment

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Monday denied reports that Damascus had deployed troops to Yemen, stating that any Syrian military engagement abroad would be announced publicly rather than conducted covertly. Speaking alongside his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi at a joint news conference in Damascus, Shaibani dismissed speculation about Syrian forces joining operations against the Houthis. "There is no deployment of Syrian forces in Yemen, nor are there any plans to do so in the near future," he said.

Scope of Saudi-Syrian pact

Shaibani stressed that a recently signed military cooperation agreement with Riyadh excludes sending Syrian forces to the war-torn country, noting that Damascus remains focused on reconstruction and facilitating refugee returns. A Syrian diplomatic source told the official SANA news agency on Saturday that Saudi coordination visits to Syria will begin in December, adding that military cooperation "could eventually lead to a mutual defense agreement or to Syria joining the Mecca Defense Alliance, depending on shared interests." The source clarified that current protocols are limited to training, expertise exchange and consultations.

Regional defense alignment

The military deal was signed on November 4 during President Ahmad al-Sharaa's visit to Riyadh. Saudi coordination visits to Syria are scheduled to begin in December, according to the SANA report, with military cooperation potentially expanding based on shared interests. Shaibani reaffirmed Syria's support for Yemen's internationally recognized government and condemned Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia, as Damascus focuses on reconstruction and rebuilding infrastructure destroyed during its own protracted conflict.