MANAMA: Syria’s top diplomat on Saturday said Damascus was considering whether to join the NATO-style Makkah defense alliance that binds Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Saudi Arabia, under heavy fire from Yemen’s Houthis, is a key backer of Syria’s government that came to power after the fall of former strongman Bashar Assad in December 2024. “Discussions are currently underway to evaluate Syria’s entry into the Makkah alliance,” Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani said at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia has been rallying support against escalating Houthi attacks, including a major strike that closed Riyadh’s international airport for two weeks this month. In August, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye signed the defense pact in Makkah, Islam’s holiest city, that states an attack on one country is to be considered an attack on all three. Pakistan and Turkiye have not announced any attacks on the Iran-backed Houthis. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron made a surprise visit to Riyadh and said France had sent troops to help shield a key Saudi oil terminal from Houthi attacks. Also in October, the UK government announced it would deploy British fighter planes to help Saudi Arabia against the attacks.