Jordan king, Iraqi, Saudi officials expected at Munich meet

So far, the U.S.-led coalition’s anti-ISIS strategy in Syria has been two-fold: to carry out a series of targeted airstrikes aimed at cutting off militants’ finances and leadership and to create a strong ground force by arming moderate rebels.

The United States says Saudi Arabia has proposed to expand its role in the air campaign by the US-led coalition on purported positions of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is appalled by the prospect that the war in Syria may conclude with Mr Assad still in power and the de facto Syrian Kurdish state of Rojava controlling half of the 550-mile long Syrian-Turkish border.

Russian officials are also warning against the deployment, with Premier Dmitry Medvedev warning that the Saudi invasion could spark a “new world war”. But Russia has warned the move could mark the beginning of a new “world war”. Russian Federation has chosen the side of President Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria, and is backing Hezbollah fighters and various militias recruited by Iran and guided by Iranian commanders. “It could take years or decades”.

If Saudi Arabia becomes involved in any more ambitious venture in Syria it is likely to be in association with Turkey; but Turkey’s policy towards sending its army across the border is ambivalent because to do so would be highly risky. Many experts remain doubtful Saudi Arabia’s declaration will come to fruition.

The Saudis won’t send significant numbers – they already stretched with an uphill and losing struggle in Yemen – and they won’t want to be on the front lines, as Saudi troops in Syria would be fighting and killing other Sunnis (and indeed other Saudi Sunnis).

Saudi Arabia is “ready” to fight in cooperation with the countries in the US-led anti-Isis coalition, Al Assiri underlined, though he added that details would be asked from Washington regarding every future operation on the ground.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday that he expected Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to provide special operations forces to help Syrian opposition fighters battling IS, including in key IS stronghold Raqqa, Reuters reported.

He criticised Saudi Arabia for trying to exclude Iran from peace talks.

Zarif argued that the two countries could find common ground over Yemen and Syria.