Syria and Israel held US-mediated talks in Jordan to lower tensions

Syria and Israel held mediated talks in Jordan last night with U.S. intermediaries, aiming to ease a recent spike in cross-border tensions after a string of Israeli strikes on Syrian territory.

The discussions, arranged with help from Washington, focused on setting up practical mechanisms to halt Israeli strikes, detentions and targeted operations, and on restarting negotiations for a security agreement that could serve as the basis for a broader deal in the future.

Key issues and red lines

Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al Shaybani told interlocutors that Damascus expects the security talks with Israel to resume soon, despite a continuing deficit of trust. He said that on paper the sides had reached agreement "almost everything" earlier this year, including proposals for security zones in southern Syria and a UN-only buffer area — but Damascus doubts Israel's readiness to implement those commitments.

At the meeting Syrian representatives pressed for immediate priorities: an Israeli pullback to positions held before the fall of Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024, and full restoration of the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement of Forces. Damascus also warned it would not accept arrangements that limit its right to rebuild and develop its armed forces or to determine its own alliances and partnerships.

Delegations discussed reducing tensions between Israel and Turkey and preventing their rivalry from spilling onto Syrian soil. Syrian state media also raised concern over last week's Israeli strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase as a factor that led Damascus to suspend contacts.

Syria and Israel have been formally in a state of war since 1948. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed the territory; the annexation was recognised by the United States but not by much of the international community.

Photo: EPA/ATEF SAFADI