Israel’s strikes push Syria towards Mecca defence pact membership

Israel's intensified military campaign against Syria, supported by Turkey, has apparently backfired, prompting Damascus to consider joining a new mutual-defence pact involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, according to a recent meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Mossad head Roman Gofman. Syria's top priority remains securing a Washington-mediated security deal with Israel, which would entail Israeli forces withdrawing from the occupied southwest Syrian regions.

However, Shaibani emphasized that any agreement should not involve surrendering to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's demands for unrestricted military operations in Syria. Syria reaffirmed its right to rebuild and develop its military and determine its alliances based on its national interests, rejecting any arrangement that would limit these capabilities.

The recent air strikes by Israel on a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border were deemed a pre-emptive move to prevent Turkey from expanding its military presence in northwest Syria. Syrian officials maintain the strikes were unfounded, raising concerns that the escalating conflict could potentially ignite a broader regional confrontation.