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Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani denied Monday that Damascus had deployed troops to Yemen or planned to do so in the near future, stressing that Syria's recently signed military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia does not include sending forces to the war-torn country.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi at Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Shaibani dismissed reports that Syrian troops could join operations against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
“There is no deployment of Syrian forces in Yemen, nor are there any plans to do so in the near future,” Shaibani said.
He emphasized that any Syrian military deployment abroad would be publicly announced rather than carried out secretly.
The minister reiterated Damascus' support for Yemen's internationally recognized government and condemned Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia.
"We hope that Yemen, like Syria, will regain its stability and that the suffering of its people will come to an end," he said.
The remarks came amid reports that Syria was preparing to send military personnel to Saudi Arabia and Yemen as Riyadh sought support from regional allies following repeated Houthi attacks.
On Saturday, a Syrian diplomatic source told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that military agreements with Saudi Arabia were limited to training, exchanges of expertise and military consultations.
The source dismissed reports of Syrian deployments to Yemen and said Saudi military coordination visits to Syria would begin in December.
However, the official suggested that the cooperation could eventually expand beyond its current framework.
According to the source, military cooperation “could eventually lead to a mutual defense agreement or to Syria joining the Mecca Defense Alliance, depending on shared interests.”
The Mecca Defense Alliance comprises Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
On Nov. 4, Syria's Foreign Ministry announced that Damascus and Riyadh had signed a military cooperation agreement during Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa's visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The agreement came amid efforts by Saudi Arabia to strengthen regional security cooperation as the kingdom faced repeated attacks from the Houthis.
On Oct. 5, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan held an emergency meeting in Riyadh to discuss threats facing the kingdom and announced the appointment of the alliance's first secretary-general.
Saudi Arabia has supported Yemen's internationally recognized government in its conflict with the Houthis since 2015.
Shaibani's remarks came during the third meeting of the Jordan-Syria Higher Coordination Council, attended by Safadi and other officials in Damascus.
The Syrian foreign minister said the two countries signed 11 cooperation documents, including memorandums of understanding, implementation programs and protocols.
He described relations between Damascus and Amman as being at their highest level, emphasizing that the security of the two countries was interconnected.
"We are determined to establish a regional security and defense system that preserves the security and stability of the region," Shaibani said.
The minister announced the establishment of a joint security and technical committee to investigate incidents in Syria's southern Daraa province and assess conditions in the area.
He said 20 of Syria's 22 ministries were engaged in direct cooperation with their Jordanian counterparts.
Bilateral trade had nearly tripled over the past year to $330 million, he added.
Shaibani also said Jordan was supplying natural gas to Syrian power plants and that both countries were working through a joint platform to exchange water-related data.
Safadi said relations between Jordan and Syria had reached their strongest level in history and expressed Amman's commitment to expanding cooperation.
He emphasized that Syria's security was closely linked to Jordan's and said Amman supported measures taken by Damascus to strengthen stability.
The Jordanian foreign minister also highlighted the countries' shared opposition to Israeli attacks on Syrian territory and Israeli practices in the occupied West Bank.
Safadi criticized restrictions on Palestinians' access to basic humanitarian necessities in Gaza and emphasized the importance of protecting their rights.
He said combating terrorism remained a shared responsibility, stressing continued security coordination between the neighboring countries.
The remarks followed a dispute over Jordanian military operations in southern Syria last month.
On Oct. 26, the Jordanian Armed Forces announced that they had conducted airstrikes against targets belonging to the Daesh terrorist group in southern Syria.
Damascus subsequently condemned Jordanian strikes on several locations in the Daraa countryside, saying seven civilians, including women and children, had been killed.
Syria also described the attacks as a violation of its sovereignty.
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