Syrian Foreign Ministry: Syrian-Israeli meeting mediated by the US to de-escalate tensions
A diplomatic source at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates revealed that a high-level Syrian delegation, led by Foreign Minister and Expatriates Affairs Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani and including the heads of General and Military Intelligence, held a meeting on Sunday with a high-level Israeli delegation, mediated by the United States and hosted by Jordan, as part of efforts to de-escalate tensions and support stability in Syria and the region.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the source clarified that the meeting followed recent Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory and escalating tensions in the south of the country. Discussions focused on establishing operational mechanisms to halt Israeli aggression, arrests, and targeted killings, and to revive the negotiation track with the aim of reaching a security agreement that could serve as a foundation for a broader future accord.
The Syrian side emphasized during the meeting that Syria is a sovereign state with the full right to rebuild and develop its national army, determine its alliances and partnerships in line with its national interests, and firmly rejected any arrangements or mechanisms that would restrict these sovereign rights.
Syria reiterated its firm position that the occupied Golan is Syrian land, noting that discussing its final status and the path leading to it remains premature at the current stage. The immediate priority, it stressed, is the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the lines preceding December 8, 2024, and the full reactivation and implementation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
Discussions also addressed the importance of supporting stability in Syria and preserving regional security, including efforts to bridge differences between Turkey and Israel and to ensure that existing tensions between the two countries do not spill over onto Syrian territory.
According to the source, the meeting focused on taking practical steps to de-escalate tensions while simultaneously exploring ways to return to the negotiation track, with Syria reaffirming that any security arrangements must respect its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and sovereign rights.
