MANAMA — Syria is evaluating whether to join the Makkah defense alliance, a NATO-style pact binding Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced Saturday at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia, a key supporter of the Syrian government that emerged after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, has been rallying international backing against escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The kingdom faced a major strike this month that forced the closure of Riyadh’s international airport for two weeks.
“Discussions are currently underway to evaluate Syria’s entry into the Makkah alliance,” al-Shaibani stated.
The trilateral defense pact was signed in August in Makkah, Islam’s holiest city, stipulating that an attack on one member constitutes an attack on all three. While Pakistan and Türkiye have not announced military action against the Iran-backed Houthis, France and the United Kingdom have recently stepped up support for Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron made a surprise visit to Riyadh, confirming the deployment of French troops to protect a strategic Saudi oil terminal. In October, the British government also announced it would deploy fighter aircraft to assist in countering Houthi attacks.
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