Syria's foreign minister says Israel security talks could restart despite mistrust

Syria’s foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani told one outlet that talks on a security arrangement with Israel are likely to restart soon, despite a lack of trust between the two states. He highlighted that halting Israeli strikes on Syrian territory is Damascus’ top priority and that any dialogue must produce tangible results. The United States has been pressing for a deal for over a year, but negotiations froze after the outbreak of the Iran war and were further disrupted by Israel’s bombing of the Abu al-Duhur airbase.

Al-Shaibani said both sides had previously agreed on paper to most points of a deal that would require Israeli withdrawal from seized Syrian lands and the creation of security zones, yet Israel has not shown the will to implement it. He added that Washington continues to pressure Israel to return to the negotiating table, while Syria remains open to broader regional peace and stability. No specific timeline for the talks was provided.