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

High-level Syrian and Israeli delegations met in Jordan under US mediation on Sunday to achieve “de-escalation” following recent Israeli strikes on Syrian territory, a diplomatic source told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The Syrian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and included the heads of the General Intelligence Directorate and Military Intelligence, the Foreign Ministry source said.

The meeting was held following “recent Israeli bombardment of Syrian territory and rising tensions in southern Syria” and efforts to “support stability in Syria and the region,” the source said.

The discussions focused on establishing “practical mechanisms to halt Israeli attacks, arrests and targeting operations” and reviving negotiations aimed at reaching a security agreement that could form the basis for “a more comprehensive future agreement.”

The Syrian delegation stressed that Syria is “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.”

Damascus “will not accept any arrangements or mechanisms that would restrict these sovereign rights,” the source added.

Syria also reiterated its position that “the occupied Golan is Syrian territory,” noting that discussion of its final status and the process leading to it remains “premature at the current stage.”

“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.

The talks also addressed the importance of “supporting Syria’s stability and preserving regional security,” including efforts 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 focused on taking “practical steps toward de-escalation” while discussing ways to resume negotiations, the source said. Syria stressed that “any security arrangements must respect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and sovereign rights.”