Syria expects Israel security talks resumption

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in a Reuters interview that Damascus expects security negotiations with Israel to resume soon, despite deep mistrust. The talks, brokered by the United States for over a year, were frozen since the start of the Iran war and contact was cut after Israel bombed the Abu al-Duhur airbase on August 18. Shaibani said the sides had 'agreed on paper to almost everything' on a security deal that would require Israel to stop attacks and withdraw from territory seized after Bashar al-Assad's fall, including security zones and a UN-only buffer zone. However, he accused Israel of lacking real will to implement it. He stressed Syria's priority is to halt Israeli aggression before discussing peace and the Golan Heights. The U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack said Washington is working on a mechanism to prevent conflict among Israel, Turkey, and Syria. Shaibani denied the airbase was to be used by Turkish forces and affirmed continued Turkish military support.