Syria Weighs Sending Troops to Yemen as Houthis Strike Riyadh Airport and Declare Saudi Airspace a Target

Saudi Arabia and Syria are in active discussions about deploying Syrian forces to Yemen to join the counteroffensive against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, according to three U.S. officials who spoke to Axios. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is described as seriously considering the move but has not yet made a decision. Options under review range from defensive support against Houthi missile and drone attacks to embedding Syrian troops alongside Saudi-backed Yemeni ground forces.

The Trump administration has been consulted by both Riyadh and Damascus and is not opposed in principle, with U.S. officials noting the arrangement would deepen support for the Saudi-led operation without requiring direct American involvement. Saudi Arabia has formally requested Syrian forces, but Damascus has said publicly that its primary focus remains domestic reconstruction and that any military cooperation would proceed through official channels.

The diplomatic discussions unfolded against a backdrop of sharp Houthi escalation. The Houthis launched coordinated drone and missile attacks on airports in southern Saudi Arabia, injuring at least three people and disrupting civil aviation. They separately claimed to have struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile, a claim Saudi Arabia did not immediately confirm. The group then declared all Saudi airspace a target for military operations, explicitly exempting only Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia struck back following the attacks, which caused casualties and infrastructure damage. The Houthi strikes and the declaration of Saudi airspace as a legitimate target mark a significant escalation from the group since the Saudi-backed coalition announced a full-scale campaign on October 4 to retake Houthi-held territory.