Syria hopes to resume security talks with Israel — Reuters

**Syria hopes to resume security talks with Israel – Reuters**

Syria expects to resume talks with Israel on a security agreement soon. Damascus hopes that the agreement will pave the way for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Syrian territory, Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shaibani told Reuters in an interview.

His statement came days after the Israeli air force struck a Syrian air base.

The minister said that the current priority for Damascus is to stop the Israeli attacks. To do this, initial steps must be taken to restore trust between the parties.

**US tries to reach an agreement**

According to Reuters, the US has been trying for more than a year to conclude a security agreement between Israel and the governments of its new ally in the Middle East, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

However, the talks on this issue remain fruitless. Israel has deployed troops to Syria and struck government targets, citing threats to its security.

Al-Shaibani said talks on a security agreement with Iran have been frozen since the start of the war, but he expects them to resume.

“We believe that there should be contact, especially with the party that constantly threatens Syria’s security. But if this contact does not produce any results, then we do not need it. We do not trust Israel at this time,” al-Shaibani said.

**US puts pressure on Israel**

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said that his country poses no threat to other countries. Damascus is now focusing on rebuilding the country after 14 years of war.

But Israeli officials have been vocal about potential threats in Syria since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. Last year, some Israeli officials described Syria’s new rulers as jihadists in disguise. Meanwhile, Ahmed al-Sharaa has established close ties with the United States.

Shortly after Assad was overthrown in 2024, Israel occupied territories in southwestern Syria. Tel Aviv explained this by the need to protect its citizens from possible attacks. Israel has also struck Syrian military facilities.

“Israel is trying to ensure its security through force, and this has not helped it anywhere. I believe that negotiations will resume soon,” al-Shaibani said.

No specific date has been set for the resumption of negotiations. The minister noted that the United States is constantly putting pressure on Israel to return to the negotiating table.

**Syria does not see any desire to reach an agreement in Israel**

Tensions around Syria increased again on Tuesday after Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur air base. Israel has said it was preparing to deploy Turkish troops at a Damascus air base, a claim Syria and Turkey have denied.

Al-Shaibani said Syria respects Israel's security concerns, but Tel Aviv must also respect Syria's interests.

He cited Israel's use of Syrian airspace, raids and arrests in the south of the country as key security concerns for Syria.

The minister said the two sides had agreed on paper almost all the terms of a security agreement earlier this year. The agreement called for Israel to halt its attacks on Syria and withdraw its troops from areas it seized after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.

The agreement called for the creation of several security zones in Syria near the Israeli border. They were to include a buffer zone that would be used only by UN forces, and other zones where Syrian troops would be deployed in varying degrees of force.

However, al-Shaybani said that Israel has tried to avoid implementing the agreement.

**The Golan Heights issue may be discussed at a later stage**

Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948. Israel captured the Golan Heights, which is considered Syrian territory, in the 1967 war.

According to al-Shaybani, the main task for Damascus now is to “stop Israeli aggression before reaching a security agreement.”

“Only then can we discuss peace and the Golan issue,” he said.

The US special representative for Syria, Tom Barrack, has previously said that Washington is working on a mechanism to prevent conflicts between Israel, Turkey and Syria.

Al-Shaybani said that no agreement has been reached on this mechanism yet. He said that the mechanism should stop Israeli attacks and pave the way for a security agreement.

**Syria to Continue Military Cooperation with Turkey**

Al-Shaybani said Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur air base even after Syria had informed it that it would not establish a Turkish military base there.

He said Syria was counting on Turkey's help in military training and cooperation. The minister noted that Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other countries were also providing support to Syria.

"Damascus is grateful for Turkey's help in rebuilding our army, and we will not abandon this support," al-Shaybani said.

Israel struck southern Syria on August 22, calling it an operation to eliminate a "terrorist." Damascus strongly condemned the attack, saying it was a clear violation of its airspace.