Syria, Israel Hold Talks in Jordan on De-escalation, Regional Tensions
Syria says high-level negotiations, mediated by the United States, focused on halting Israeli strikes, easing tensions in southern Syria, and preventing Israeli-Turkish tensions from spilling onto Syrian territory
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Syria and Israel held high-level talks in Jordan on Sunday under US mediation to discuss de-escalation following recent Israeli strikes on Syrian territory and efforts to keep growing tensions between Israel and Türkiye from spilling into Syria.
The talks came after the two sides agreed in January to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism as they moved toward a possible security agreement.
The latest negotiations followed an Israeli strike earlier this week on the disused Abu Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria. Israel said the attack was intended to prevent Turkish troops from deploying to the facility, a claim Ankara denied.
Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a diplomatic source at the Foreign Ministry as saying that a “high-level Syrian delegation headed by the foreign minister and including the general and military intelligence chiefs” met with a senior Israeli delegation “under American mediation and hosted by Jordan.”
The meeting was part of efforts to achieve de-escalation following recent Israeli bombardment of Syrian territory and rising tensions in southern Syria, while supporting stability in Syria and the wider region, the source said.
The discussions also focused on efforts to narrow differences between Türkiye and Israel and ensure that tensions between the two countries do not affect Syrian territory, according to SANA.
A diplomatic source and a Syrian government source told AFP that Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met with Roman Gofman, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
The talks included discussions on establishing a “special operations room” in Jordan under US supervision to prevent confrontations on Syrian territory, including potential clashes involving Türkiye, the sources said.
Security negotiations
US envoy for Syria Tom Barrack criticized Israel’s strike on the Abu Duhur airbase on Tuesday, describing it as an “unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.”
Tensions between Israel and Türkiye have risen sharply since the incident, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan exchanging increasingly hostile rhetoric.
A Syrian government source told AFP that Sunday’s meeting was the first between Syria and Israel in some time, while a diplomatic source described it as the first such meeting in several months.
SANA reported that the discussions included establishing “practical mechanisms to stop Israeli attacks” and reviving negotiations aimed at reaching a security agreement that could eventually provide the foundation for a broader agreement between the two countries.
Syria’s new authorities and Israel have conducted several rounds of direct negotiations. Following talks in Paris in January, the two sides agreed to establish a dedicated communication channel under US supervision to reduce tensions.
An Arab diplomat in Damascus said at the time that a joint operations room in Jordan would address issues including security coordination and border control.
Israel’s military presence in southern Syria
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since Islamist forces overthrew longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Following Assad’s fall, Israeli forces entered a UN-patrolled buffer zone that had separated Israeli and Syrian forces near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Israel has since conducted repeated military incursions deeper into Syrian territory and has pledged to maintain troops in what it calls a “security zone” in southern Syria, where it is seeking a broader demilitarized area.
Sunday’s talks also followed an Israeli strike on Saturday targeting what Israel described as a militant in southern Syria. Damascus said one person was wounded and condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation” of Syrian sovereignty.
Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and later annexed the territory under its control. The annexation has been internationally rejected, although it has been recognized by the United States and, this month, Colombia.
US President Donald Trump has been pressing for a security agreement between Syria and Israel, but Israel remains deeply distrustful of Syria’s new authorities, complicating efforts to reach a lasting deal.