Senior Syrian and Israeli delegations met in Jordan on Aug. 23 under U.S. mediation to discuss easing tensions following recent Israeli strikes on Syrian territory, Syria’s Foreign Ministry said.
The Syrian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and included the heads of the country’s general and military intelligence services, a ministry source told state news agency SANA.
The talks focused on possible mechanisms to halt Israeli strikes, detentions and targeted operations, as well as reviving negotiations toward a security agreement that could form the basis of a broader accord, according to the source.
The Syrian side said it had the right to rebuild and develop its armed forces and determine its alliances and partnerships, rejecting any arrangement that would limit those sovereign rights.
Damascus also reiterated its position that the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are Syrian territory but said discussion of their final status was premature.
Its immediate priorities were the withdrawal of Israeli forces to positions held before Dec. 8, 2024, and the restoration and full implementation of the 1974 disengagement agreement, the ministry source said.
The 1974 accord established a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces. Israeli troops entered the zone following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
