Syria Denies Sending Troops to Yemen Despite New Saudi Defense Pact

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated on Monday that his country has no troops stationed in Yemen and has no plans to send any forces there. His remarks follow claims from Yemeni sources reported by AFP last week that Syrian soldiers were present in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, with plans for thousands more to deploy. Speaking at a press conference alongside Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Mr. Shaibani denied any such arrangement with the recognized government in Yemen. He noted that any foreign military plan would be made public rather than handled secretly, even though Syria and Riyadh signed a defence cooperation agreement this month.

Context

Syria is currently trying to rebuild its state institutions and military after a long civil war that started in 2011 and concluded with the removal of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has backed Yemen's official government against the Iran-backed Houthis since 2015 and seeks support from regional allies.