World News
Syria and Israel hold US-mediated talks in Jordan to de-escalate regional tensions
High-level Syrian and Israeli officials met in Jordan to negotiate security arrangements and prevent mounting friction involving Turkey.
The short version
- Syria's foreign minister met with Israel's Mossad chief in Jordan for US-mediated talks aimed at stopping recent military strikes and establishing a long-term security framework.
- The negotiations follow Israeli airstrikes on Syria's Abu Duhur airbase, which Israel claimed was intended to block a Turkish deployment despite denials from both Ankara and Damascus.
- Syria demanded a full Israeli pullback to pre-December 2024 positions, while Israeli negotiators set strict red lines regarding Turkish military presence and weapons restrictions.
Key facts
- Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani held US-mediated talks in Jordan with an Israeli delegation that included Mossad chief Roman Gofman.[Al Jazeera · France 24]
- The meeting addressed establishing a US-supervised special operations room in Jordan to help prevent accidental confrontations and manage bilateral security.[France 24]
- Syrian officials urged Israel to withdraw to positions held prior to the December 2024 fall of Bashar al-Assad and to reinstate the 1974 disengagement treaty.[Al Jazeera]
- Israeli media reported that Israel's negotiating conditions include prohibiting Turkish military presence in Syria, keeping Syrian territory near the Golan Heights demilitarized, and restricting Syria's acquisition of strategic weapons.[Al Jazeera]
- US envoy Tom Barrack criticized Israel's preceding strike on Abu Duhur airbase as an unnecessary escalation.[France 24]
What remains uncertain
- It remains uncertain whether Israel will agree to withdraw from Syrian territory or the UN-patrolled buffer zone, as Israeli officials conditioned pullbacks on diplomatic milestones.[Al Jazeera]
- Discussions surrounding Turkish troop movements remain contested, as Israel claims its strikes targeted potential Turkish deployments while Syria and Turkey deny any planned deployment at the targeted airbase.[Al Jazeera · France 24]