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

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met with a high-level Israeli delegation, including Mossad chief Roman Gofman, in Jordan for US-mediated talks on August 23, 2026. The meeting aimed to de-escalate tensions following recent Israeli strikes, including the bombing of the Abu al-Duhur airbase. Syria demanded an Israeli withdrawal to pre-December 2024 positions and rejected limits on its military rebuilding, while Israel maintained red lines against Turkish military expansion in Syria.

US-mediated talks in Jordan

• ▪The August 23, 2026, talks in Jordan focused on establishing practical mechanisms to halt Israeli strikes, arrests, and targeted operations in Syria
• ▪Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met with Israeli intelligence officials, including Mossad head Roman Gofman, in Jordan on August 23, 2026
• ▪The high-level talks in Jordan on August 23, 2026, were mediated by the United States and aimed at easing regional tensions

Israeli strikes on Syrian territory

• ▪Israel bombed the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria on August 18, 2026, claiming Damascus was preparing to allow Turkish forces to deploy there
• ▪Syria's foreign ministry stated that an Israeli drone strike on August 22, 2026, hit a civilian vehicle near Beit Jinn village, injuring at least one civilian
• ▪The Israeli military targeted an individual in southern Syria on August 22, 2026, describing the target as a terrorist posing an immediate threat to soldiers

Security agreement negotiations

• ▪Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated that Syria's priority is to halt Israeli aggression before opening discussions on the final status of the occupied Golan Heights
• ▪The proposed security agreement between Syria and Israel includes establishing security zones in southern Syria and a buffer zone patrolled solely by United Nations forces
• ▪Syria and Israel had agreed on paper to almost all terms of a security deal around the beginning of 2026, before negotiations froze due to the US-Israel war on Iran

Syrian sovereignty demands

• ▪The Syrian delegation at the Jordan talks reaffirmed Damascus's sovereignty over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which Israel captured in 1967
• ▪Syria demanded an Israeli withdrawal to positions held before the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024, and the full restoration of the 1974 disengagement agreement
• ▪Syria rejected any security arrangements that would restrict its sovereign right to rebuild its national army or determine its foreign alliances and partnerships

Israel-Turkey tensions over Syria

• ▪Israeli officials adopted red lines for the talks, including preventing Turkish military activity in Syria and keeping the Syrian side of the Golan Heights demilitarised
• ▪The August 23, 2026, talks in Jordan included discussions to ease tensions between Israel and Turkiye and prevent their rivalry from spilling onto Syrian territory
• ▪Syria and Turkiye denied Israeli claims that Damascus planned to allow Turkish military forces to deploy at the Abu al-Duhur airbase

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