Syria and Israel hold US-mediated talks in Jordan to de-escalate tensions and prevent Turkish confrontation

High-level delegations from Syria and Israel met in Jordan on Sunday for US-mediated negotiations aimed at halting recent military escalations and preventing regional tensions between Israel and Turkey from spilling onto Syrian territory.

The meeting marked the first direct security talks between the two countries in several months.

What was discussed during the high-level talks in Jordan?

The Syrian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani alongside the heads of general and military intelligence, while reports indicate the Israeli delegation was headed by Mossad chief Roman Gofman. According to official statements carried by state news agency SANA, the meeting focused on establishing practical mechanisms to halt Israeli airstrikes and cross-border incursions into southern Syria.

Discussions also centered on setting up a US-supervised "special operations room" in Jordan to manage real-time intelligence sharing and coordinate security along mutual borders. According to reporting by Middle East Eye, Damascus reaffirmed its stance that the occupied Golan Heights remain Syrian territory while demanding a full withdrawal of Israeli forces to lines held before December 8, 2024.

How do the negotiations relate to Israel-Turkey friction?

The de-escalation effort follows an Israeli airstrike targeting the disused Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria. Israeli officials claimed the strike was conducted to prevent a planned deployment of Turkish forces to the site, though Turkish authorities denied visiting or planning to occupy the facility.

The strike drew sharp condemnation from US Special Envoy Tom Barrack, who described the operation as an unnecessary escalation that undermined regional stability. SANA confirmed that Syrian negotiators actively sought to bridge differences between Tel Aviv and Ankara to ensure that ongoing rhetoric between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not trigger wider combat operations within Syria.

The Jerusalem Post reports that while formal negotiations toward a comprehensive bilateral security agreement were frozen following the outbreak of the US-Iran war in February, both sides view US-backed confidence-building measures in Jordan as a necessary precursor to resuming broader diplomatic contacts.