Syria, Israel hold US-mediated de-escalation talks in Jordan

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani led a high-level delegation including intelligence chiefs to talks with Israeli officials in Jordan on Sunday under US mediation, seeking to establish mechanisms to halt Israeli attacks and revive security negotiations, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). The meeting convened following recent Israeli bombardment of Syrian territory and escalating tensions in southern Syria.

Sovereignty and territorial demands

The Syrian delegation included the heads of the General Intelligence Directorate and Military Intelligence alongside al-Shaibani, reflecting the security-focused nature of the discussions, a Foreign Ministry source told SANA. Damascus asserted its position as "a sovereign state" with "the full right to rebuild and develop its national army and determine its alliances and partnerships in accordance with its national interests," stressing that it "will not accept any arrangements or mechanisms that would restrict these sovereign rights."

Delegates addressed the status of the occupied Golan Heights, noting that discussion of its final status remains "premature at the current stage" despite ongoing Israeli military presence in the territory. "The immediate priority is the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the lines held before Dec. 8, 2024, and the reactivation and full implementation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement," the source said, referencing the pact that ended the 1973 October War.

Regional security framework

Washington mediated the discussions as both sides explored practical mechanisms to halt Israeli arrests and targeting operations while laying groundwork for a comprehensive future accord. The talks also addressed the importance of "supporting Syria's stability and preserving regional security," including diplomatic initiatives to "bring the positions of Türkiye and Israel closer together and ensure that tensions between the two countries do not spill over into Syrian territory." The meeting convened five months after the change of government in Damascus on December 8, 2024.