Syria is considering providing military support to Saudi Arabia as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis step up missile and drone attacks on the kingdom, according to US and Syrian officials.
The possible involvement of Syrian forces would mark another regional dimension to Yemen’s renewed civil war, which has intensified amid the wider US-Iran conflict and risks pulling more countries into the fighting.
Saudi Arabia has sought support from allied nations, including Turkey and Pakistan, ranging from logistical assistance to defensive military aid. The push has become more urgent following Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure that killed three people at airports this week.
Loud explosions were heard in Riyadh on Thursday morning, although their cause was not immediately identified. There was no immediate official comment or public early warning alert, though some diplomats said they had received warnings and some schools in the capital advised parents about shelter-in-place orders.
The Houthis said on Thursday that they had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile. Saudi government officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Saudi Arabia said one person was killed in a strike on Riyadh airport, while two others died in an attack on Abha airport in the southwest on Tuesday and Wednesday.
US and Syrian officials said Damascus was carefully considering military assistance, including defensive support to protect Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks or a possible offensive role alongside Saudi-backed Yemeni forces.
Yemen’s civil war, which had been largely paused by a 2022 ceasefire, has erupted again in recent weeks. The Houthis seized stretches of the Red Sea coast last month, including areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while saying they were responding to attacks by Saudi-backed government forces. The government denies that claim.
Houthi threats to shipping through the waterway, which has become increasingly important for Gulf oil exports following attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as attacks on Saudi cities and infrastructure, have drawn Riyadh deeper into the conflict.
A Syrian diplomat said Syria “stood firmly with Saudi Arabia” against Houthi attacks but stressed that Damascus remained focused primarily on domestic priorities, including recovery from its own civil war.
The diplomat said any military cooperation or exchange of expertise requested by Saudi Arabia would be handled through official channels and within existing bilateral agreements between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Saudi-backed forces launched a counteroffensive this week, recapturing areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as they seek to reverse recent Houthi gains.
The Houthis have also made gains of their own, surrounding Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, after taking territory along its main mountain road to Aden.
The fighting between the Houthis and a coalition of Saudi-backed forces under Yemen’s internationally recognised government has displaced 200,000 people since the conflict resumed, adding to the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Saudi Arabia agreed this summer to the Mecca pact with Turkey and Pakistan, under which the three countries committed to defending one another, although Turkey still needs to ratify the agreement internally.
Turkey said on Wednesday it was providing mainly defensive and technical support to Saudi Arabia, with a Turkish official saying this was expected to include military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems.
Pakistan has also sent military equipment to Aden in southern Yemen and deployed troops inside Saudi Arabia to help defend its borders.
The Saudi government media office and Yemen’s information minister did not respond to requests for comment.
Ojo Triumph
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