Syria and Israel participated in high-level, United States-mediated talks in Jordan on Sunday to address escalating tensions following recent Israeli military strikes on Syrian territory. According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, which cited a diplomatic source, the meeting focused on establishing practical mechanisms to end Israeli airstrikes, arrests, and targeted operations. The two delegations also discussed efforts to reduce friction between Israel and Turkey to prevent their regional rivalry from impacting Syria.
The talks follow a period of diplomatic suspension that began at the start of the Iran war. Syria reportedly severed all contact with Israel last week after Israeli strikes targeted the Abu al-Duhur airbase. Despite the recent engagement, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated in an interview on Saturday that while Damascus expected security negotiations to resume, there remains a significant lack of trust between the two nations.
U.S. officials have spent over a year attempting to facilitate a security agreement between Israel and the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. According to Shaibani, the parties had reached a tentative agreement on paper earlier this year regarding security zones in southern Syria and a buffer zone managed by United Nations forces. However, Damascus has expressed skepticism regarding Israel's commitment to implementing these terms. The Israeli prime minister’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
During the Sunday meeting, Syria outlined its primary demands, which include an Israeli withdrawal to the positions held before the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024. Damascus also sought the full restoration of the 1974 disengagement agreement. Syrian representatives stated they would not accept any restrictions on their right to develop their military forces or choose their own international alliances and partnerships.
The scale of the proposed security arrangements involves significant territorial adjustments, including the potential establishment of buffer zones in southern Syria. While specific household-level financial impacts were not reported, the implementation of a United Nations-monitored buffer zone would shift the physical presence of military forces across the border region. The status of the Golan Heights remains a central point of contention; while Syria maintains it is their territory, Israel continues its occupation and annexation, a status recognized by the U.S. but not most of the international community.
If an agreement is reached, it would establish a new legal and security framework for the first time since the 1974 disengagement. However, the current lack of trust reported by the Syrian Foreign Ministry suggests that any concrete changes to military activity or border control may not be immediate. The next steps involve determining whether the two sides can move beyond the "on paper" agreements reached earlier this year toward implementation, though no specific deadline for a follow-up meeting has been announced.