Syria weighs military support for Saudi

Riyad Syria is weighing military support for Saudi Arabia as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group intensifies missile and drone attacks on the kingdom, raising fears that the renewed Yemen war could pull more regional countries into fighting. A US official and a Syrian defence official said Damascus was considering options ranging from defensive assistance to deployment of troops. Any Syrian involvement would mark a significant expansion of the conflict, which has already added another front to a region destabilised by the US-Iran confrontation. Saudi Arabia has sought assistance from allied countries, including Turkey and Pakistan, with requests focused on logistical or defensive support. The push has gained urgency after Houthi attacks on infrastructure killed three people at airports this week. The Houthis said on Thursday they had attacked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile. A series of loud explosions was also heard in the Saudi capital, although could not independently identify their cause. Some schools reportedly warned parents about shelter-in-place measures. Saudi authorities said one person was killed in an attack on Riyadh airport, while two others died in a separate strike on Abha airport earlier this week. The renewed fighting follows the collapse of a 2022 ceasefire, with the Houthis recently taking positions along parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Syria said it stands firmly with Saudi Arabia but remains focused on rebuilding at home. Any military cooperation, it said, would occur only through official channels and existing bilateral agreements.