Syria’s Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani has met with Israeli intelligence officials in Jordan as the two sides seek to de-escalate tensions following an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border.
The talks, mediated by the United States and involving what Syrian state media described as a “high-level Israeli delegation”, focused on establishing mechanisms to halt Israeli attacks and revive negotiations on a longer-term security agreement between Damascus and Tel Aviv.
The meeting marks a renewed diplomatic effort to prevent escalating tensions between Israel and Syria from developing into a broader regional confrontation, particularly as concerns grow over the potential impact of Israeli-Turkish rivalry inside Syrian territory.
According to Syrian state media, the discussions centred on creating “practical mechanisms to halt Israeli attacks, arrests and targeting operations.” The two sides also discussed the possibility of reviving negotiations aimed at reaching a lasting security arrangement between Syria and Israel.
Washington has been working for more than a year to broker a security agreement between Israel and the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, as both countries attempt to manage increasingly complex security concerns following the fall of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes inside Syria since al-Assad’s overthrow, arguing that it must prevent hostile forces and weapons from becoming entrenched near its borders.
Israeli forces have also moved into a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone that had long separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The latest round of talks comes days after Israel bombed the Abu Duhur airbase in northwestern Idlib.
Israel said that the strike was intended to prevent Turkish troops from deploying at the facility, a claim rejected by both Syria and Turkiye. The attack heightened concerns that growing competition between Israel and Turkiye could turn Syria into a new arena for regional confrontation.
Syria Reasserts Sovereignty
During the meeting, Syrian officials stressed that Damascus would not accept arrangements that undermine the country’s sovereignty or limit its ability to rebuild its military.
According to Syrian state media, the Syrian delegation emphasised that the country has “the full right to rebuild and develop its national army and determine its alliances and partnerships in line with its national interests.” The Syrian side also rejected “any arrangements or mechanisms” that would restrict those sovereign rights.
Damascus has sought to reassert control over its territory and security institutions following years of conflict and political upheaval.Syria’s immediate priorities in the talks, according to state media, included an Israeli withdrawal to positions held before the overthrow of al-Assad and the full restoration of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
The agreement, reached following the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, established a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights under the supervision of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force. Syrian officials also reiterated Damascus’s claim of sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed in a move not widely recognised internationally.
Israel Sets Out Security Concerns
Israeli media described the latest talks as positive, although Israeli officials reportedly entered the discussions with several key security demands. Among Israel’s reported red lines are preventing Turkish military activity in Syria and keeping the Syrian side of the Golan Heights demilitarised.
Israeli officials have also demanded guarantees concerning the security of Syria’s Druze community and have sought to prevent the Syrian military from acquiring certain strategic weapons systems. Israel has reportedly made any withdrawal from Syrian territory contingent on what it describes as broader diplomatic and security achievements.
The differing positions highlight the challenges facing U.S.-mediated efforts to reach an agreement. While Syria is demanding the restoration of its territorial sovereignty and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, Israel is seeking long-term security guarantees that would limit certain Syrian military capabilities and restrict the presence of foreign forces.
Another major issue discussed during the Jordan meeting was the growing tension between Israel and Turkiye. Both countries have strategic interests in Syria, and recent developments have raised concerns that their rivalry could increasingly affect the country’s fragile security environment.
The latest talks represent an attempt to restart diplomatic engagement that stalled earlier this year. During previous rounds of U.S.-mediated discussions, Syria and Israel reportedly agreed to establish a joint mechanism for sharing intelligence and defusing security incidents.
However, negotiations froze at the end of February following the outbreak of war between the United States, Israel and Iran. No date had been set for the resumption of talks until the latest meeting in Jordan.
While the discussions appear to have produced no immediate agreement, their resumption signals that Washington, Damascus and Tel Aviv remain interested in preventing further escalation. The path towards a lasting agreement, however, remains difficult.
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