Aya Iskandarani

BREAKING: Thousands of Syrian 
troops are set to deploy to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with hundreds already on the 
ground, five Yemeni officials told @AFP, as Riyadh rallies international 
help to repel the Houthis and bolster the government.

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Posting the full article about the Syrian troops in Yemen and Saudi as shared by France24 👇

france24.com/en/live-news/2…

Beyond the funny aspect of Houthis replying to emails in 24 hours, ships formally asking them permission to transit safely via Bab al-Mandab gives the group a sort of de facto recognition.

They have always sought to be seen as the legitimate authority.

wsj.com/world/middle-e…

Syria's top diplomat said Damascus was weighing whether to join the Mecca defence alliance that binds Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

"Discussions are currently underway to evaluate Syria's entry into the Mecca alliance," FM Asaad al-Shaibani said at the Manama Dialogue.

Qatar rejected accusations that it had interfered in the Israeli elections.

Netanyahu's bloc has been piling pressure on Israeli Arab leaders over unproven accusations of foreign funding, trying to neuter parties that may be key to forming a gvt after an inconclusive election.