Standfirst: Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in Damascus on Monday, November 9, that no Syrian forces are deployed in Yemen and none are planned in the near future, describing a new military agreement with Saudi Arabia as focused on training, expertise and the rebuilding of Syria’s army.
Syria has formally rejected reports that it is sending soldiers to fight Yemen’s Houthi rebels, even as Damascus moves closer to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf on security matters. Speaking at a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi at Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Mr al-Shaibani said there was “no deployment of troops” in Yemen and no plan for one “in the near future”, according to Anadolu Agency and AFP.
The denial followed claims by Yemeni sources, cited by AFP, that Syrian soldiers were present in Yemen and in Saudi Arabia. Saudi territory has faced repeated Houthi drone and missile attacks in recent weeks targeting airports, oil facilities and military sites, The National reported.
A pact with Riyadh, not with Yemen
Mr al-Shaibani stressed that the military cooperation agreement Damascus signed during President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh last week was concluded with Saudi Arabia alone. “There is no agreement with the legitimate Yemeni government to deploy troops in Yemen,” he said, according to The National, adding that any military operation beyond Syria’s borders would be announced and debated publicly rather than carried out in secret.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry announced on November 4 that the two countries had signed the military cooperation deal while Mr al-Sharaa met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Anadolu reported. Agreements covering energy, infrastructure and other sectors were signed during the same visit.
The minister said Syria needed Saudi expertise as it rebuilds its army and state institutions, citing defence industries, academic and technical training and skills development. On Saturday, a Syrian diplomatic source told the state news agency SANA that the agreements were limited to training, exchanges of expertise and military consultations, and that reports of a deployment to Yemen had “no basis in truth”. The source said Saudi coordination visits to Syria would begin in December.
Support for Yemen’s government and a regional framework
While ruling out a deployment, Mr al-Shaibani voiced support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government and condemned Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia, describing the attacks as unjustified and unlawful. He also called for a regional security and defence framework, arguing that no single country can guarantee its own security, The National reported.
The SANA source said military cooperation with Riyadh could eventually lead to a mutual defence agreement or to Syria joining the Makkah (Mecca) Defence Alliance, which groups Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, depending on shared interests.
Close coordination with Jordan
The press conference closed the third session of the Syrian-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council, attended by both countries’ defence officials, army chiefs of staff and intelligence heads, Arab News reported, citing SANA. Mr al-Shaibani described the partnership with Amman as “stronger than any obstacle” and pointed to joint efforts to secure the border and pursue smuggling networks. Mr Safadi said relations were “at their best” and reaffirmed Jordan’s support for Syria’s reconstruction. The council, created in May 2025, meets every six months.