Syria weighs joining Mecca defence pact, foreign minister says

Syria is contemplating joining the Mecca defence pact, the country's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced on Saturday during the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain. Shaibani informed the conference that discussions are currently underway to assess the Syrian government's potential entry into the Mecca alliance. This alliance, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan in Mecca back in August, stipulates that an attack on any member nation is considered an attack on all three members.

Saudi Arabia has been facing significant pressure from Yemen's Houthi rebels and has been rallying international support against their escalating attacks. The most recent incident occurred this month when a major strike shut down Riyadh's international airport for two weeks. On Friday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen reported intercepting Houthi drones over the Mecca and Medina regions, though the group denied involvement in the attacks.

In early October, French President Emmanuel Macron made an unexpected visit to Riyadh and announced that France would deploy troops to safeguard a crucial Saudi oil terminal from Houthi strikes. Additionally, Britain announced in October that it would send fighter jets to bolster the kingdom's defenses against the Houthi attacks.