Syria considers joining Mecca defence pact, foreign minister says

Al-Shaibani said discussions are under way to evaluate Syria's entry into the alliance. He described Damascus as an "integral" part of regional security and said the region was "in greater need than ever" of joint deterrence and defence systems.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August, states that an attack on one country is to be considered an attack on all three. Saudi Arabia, under heavy fire from Yemen's Houthis, is a key backer of Syria's government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which came to power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Al-Shaibani said Syria backs the efforts of Yemen's Saudi-backed internationally recognised government to restore sovereignty and stability across its entire territory. He urged all parties to support the unity and sovereignty of states.

Separately, the minister said Israel has carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Syria in less than two years, killing dozens of people. "How can calls for border control and placing weapons exclusively under state control be justified while Syrian sovereignty is violated and targeted on a daily basis?" he asked.

Government officials in Turkiye, where ratification of the pact is ongoing, have said any future military support for Riyadh would not include deploying Turkish troops to fight in Yemen or attack the Houthis. Neither Pakistan nor Turkiye has announced any attacks on the Houthis.