Syrian FM: Israel security talks expected to resume soon

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in an interview published on Saturday that negotiations with Israel over a proposed security agreement are expected to resume soon, despite recent military strikes that have severed direct contact between the two sides. The talks, which have been under U.S. mediation for over a year, aim to secure an Israeli withdrawal from Syrian territory and halt ongoing attacks.

Al-Shaibani told Reuters that the negotiations were frozen following the outbreak of the regional war with Iran on February 28, and that direct communication was cut off after Israel bombed the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria's Idlib province last week. Israel claimed the strike was a preemptive measure because Damascus was preparing to allow Turkish forces to deploy at the facility, a claim Syria and Turkey denied. Al-Shaibani stated that Syria had previously communicated the airbase would not become a Turkish military base.

Despite the breakdown in talks, the Syrian foreign minister expressed hope for a diplomatic restart. "We believe there should be contact, especially with a party that constantly threatens the security of Syria. But if this contact doesn't bring...