Syria is evaluating whether to join a NATO-style mutual defense pact linking Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani made the announcement on Saturday at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain.
The defense agreement was signed in August in Makkah. Under the terms of the treaty, an armed attack against one member nation is treated as an act of aggression against all three.
Discussions are taking place to review Syria’s potential integration into the security bloc, Al-Shaibani said. Syria’s current government took power after the removal of former strongman Bashar Assad in December 2024. Saudi Arabia is a primary financial and political supporter of the Damascus administration.
Riyadh has faced intense military pressure from Yemen’s Houthi movement and sought international backing to counter drone and missile strikes. These attacks included a major offensive earlier this month that forced the closure of the international airport in Riyadh for two weeks.
Neither Pakistan nor Turkiye has reported facing attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi forces.
Western nations have also stepped in to bolster Saudi defenses. French President Emmanuel Macron travelled to Riyadh earlier this month on an unannounced visit and stated that France had deployed military personnel to protect a Saudi oil terminal against Houthi aerial threats.
The United Kingdom also moved to assist security efforts. British authorities announced plans in October to dispatch fighter jets to Saudi airspace to help intercept incoming attacks.
