Syria demands Israeli withdrawal at US-brokered security talks

Syria and Israel held high-level talks in Jordan on Sunday, mediated by the United States, in an effort to ease tensions following recent Israeli strikes on Syrian territory.

Syria and Israel held high-level talks in Jordan on Sunday, mediated by the United States, in an effort to ease tensions following recent Israeli strikes on Syrian territory. Syria’s state news agency Sana reported the development, citing a diplomatic source within the foreign ministry.

According to Sana, the discussions centered on practical steps to halt Israeli strikes, arrests and targeted operations inside Syria. Both sides also explored reviving broader security negotiations that could eventually pave the way for a wider agreement.

The talks additionally touched on efforts to ease tensions between Israel and Turkey, aiming to prevent their rivalry from spilling over onto Syrian soil.

Syria’s Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, told Reuters on Saturday that Damascus expects security negotiations with Israel to resume soon, though he acknowledged a persistent lack of trust between the two sides.

According to Shaibani, talks had been suspended since the start of the Iran war, and Syria cut off contact entirely following Israeli strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase last week.

Washington has spent more than a year trying to broker a formal security agreement between Israel and the Syrian government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Shaibani said both sides had reached near-total agreement on paper earlier this year, including arrangements for security zones in southern Syria and a UN-monitored buffer zone, though Damascus remains doubtful about Israel’s willingness to follow through.

The Israeli prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Shaibani’s remarks.

During Sunday’s meeting, Sana reported that Syria reiterated its immediate priorities, an Israeli withdrawal to pre-December 2024 positions and full restoration of the 1974 disengagement agreement. Damascus also made clear it would reject any arrangement limiting its right to rebuild its armed forces or choose its own alliances.

While reaffirming that the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights remain Syrian territory, Damascus said discussions on the region’s final status remain premature at this stage.

Israel has continued striking Syrian military sites since Assad’s fall, citing security concerns, while Syria maintains it poses no threat and has repeatedly called for an end to the incursions.

The two countries have technically remained at war since 1948. Israel seized the Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, a move recognised by the United States but rejected by most of the international community.