Syria, Israel to Resume US-mediated Talks in Paris

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R), French FM Jean-Noel Barrot (C), and US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack meet in Paris in July. (SANA)

05:41-6 January 2026 AD ـ 19 Rajab 1447 AH

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R), French FM Jean-Noel Barrot (C), and US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack meet in Paris in July. (SANA)

A Syrian delegation including Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was holding a new round of negotiations with Israel on Monday, state news agency SANA reported, the first in several months.

Quoting a government source, SANA said the talks were coordinated and mediated by Washington, adding that the discussions were focused on reaching "a balanced security agreement" between the two countries.

Two diplomatic sources told AFP that the US-mediated talks were being held in Paris.

SANA said the negotiations were focused on reactivating a 1974 disengagement agreement and guaranteeing "the withdrawal of Israeli forces" to their positions before the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

After Assad's ousting, Israel sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights for decades.

Israel has also carried out repeated incursions deeper into Syrian territory since then, as well as bombings, and has said it wants a demilitarized zone in the country's south.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to Shaibani on Monday in Paris, the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The two ministers stressed the importance of working towards the restoration of a unified, stable and sovereign Syria. In that regard, they mentioned the necessity of coming to a security arrangement with Israel in Syria's south," the statement said.

The United States has been pushing Syria and Israel to reach an agreement that would halt hostilities between the two countries, technically at war since 1948.

"The resumption of these negotiations is confirmation of Syria's firm commitment to restoring its non-negotiable national rights," the government source told SANA, adding that intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama was also part of the delegation.

Syria and Israel opened direct negotiations after Assad was toppled in December 2024.

Officials have met on several occasions, most recently in September, but Israel's insistence on a demilitarized zone in southern Syria has been a major stumbling block.

Last month, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the demand would endanger his country and urged Israel to respect the 1974 deal.

Hezbollah Denies Any Link to Cell Dismantled in Syria

A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)

23:50-30 September 2026 AD ـ 19 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Hezbollah Denies Any Link to Cell Dismantled in Syria

Hezbollah denied on Wednesday any connection to a cell that Syrian authorities said they had dismantled in the country's south and which they accused of being affiliated with the Lebanese group.

A statement from the Iran-backed movement's media office said it "categorically denies any relationship or connection between Hezbollah and the alleged cell" and emphasized that "it has no presence whatsoever on Syrian territory and has no involvement in any security or military activity there".

On Tuesday, Syria said intelligence services and security forces "thwarted a sabotage plot in the Yarmuk basin in Daraa (province) and arrested a Hezbollah-affiliated cell composed of three individuals".

Authorities said the cell attempted "to prepare rocket launch platforms with the aim of carrying out attacks to destabilize security and stability", without specifying the target.

The Yarmuk basin area, where state media has previously reported Israeli incursions and shelling, borders the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as well as Jordan.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said there were "indications" that Israel's enemies could try to attack ahead of elections scheduled for late October.

Syria's new authorities, who ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024, are hostile to Hezbollah, which is a sworn enemy of Israel and fought on Assad's side during the Syrian civil war.

Authorities have previously said they dismantled several Hezbollah-linked cells preparing attacks in Syria, accusations the group has denied.

In Wednesday's statement, Hezbollah accused Israel of seeking to disrupt ties between Lebanon and Syria.

It called on Syrian authorities "to identify the real beneficiary of escalating tensions between the two countries, namely the Israeli enemy".

Last month, Hezbollah's chief Naim Qassem said he had no objection to meeting openly with Syria's leadership.

In June, responding to a question about whether he would sit at the table with Hezbollah, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said that "if this serves Lebanon's interests and safeguards Syria's interests, why not".

Arab World

US Removes Syria from Arms Export Ban

A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)

23:48-30 September 2026 AD ـ 19 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

US Removes Syria from Arms Export Ban

A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)

The Trump administration is removing Syria from a list of countries that are not allowed to purchase or import US weaponry, a step that is part of a monthslong process of easing sanctions on the new government in Damascus and its leaders.

In a notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the State Department said it was amending its International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, so that Syria no longer was among the nations subject to a policy of denial for licenses and other approvals needed for the sale of US weapons and munitions.

The change effective Thursday means that arms sales requests from Syria will now be considered on a case-by-case basis.

President Donald Trump acted last year to ease economic sanctions on Syria that had been in place for decades during now-ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. In August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, helping paving the way for the latest step in drawing closer to the current government.

The State Department has also announced plans to reopen the US Embassy in Damascus. It has been closed for 14 years.

With Syria’s removal from the ITAR blacklist, only seven countries remain subject to the policy of denial for licenses for US arms exports: Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Venezuela.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa overthrew the Assad government nearly two years ago and has embarked on a policy of change that has impressed the Trump administration. His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the ISIS insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years.

Wednesday’s withdrawal of US forces from Iraq may mean that the Syrian government plays a greater role in preventing an ISIS resurgence.

Arab World

Blast at Syrian Gas Pipeline, Power Stations Hit

The explosion put three power stations out of service, the Syrian Electricity Company said in a statement. (SANA)

23:42-30 September 2026 AD ـ 19 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Blast at Syrian Gas Pipeline, Power Stations Hit

The explosion put three power stations out of service, the Syrian Electricity Company said in a statement. (SANA)

A blast at a gas pipeline near the Syrian capital Damascus late Wednesday sparked a massive fire and put three power stations out of service.

It came two days after an explosion caused by sabotage at a gas pipeline in the country's east.

The official SANA news agency first reported Wednesday's explosion saying a "detonation was heard in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus".

A government source told AFP it was an "explosion in a gas pipeline near the Tishrin power plant" that sparked a "huge fire".

Tishrin is a 630-megawatt hydropower project located on the Euphrates River.

The explosion put three power stations out of service, the Syrian Electricity Company said in a statement.

"The shutdown of these plants will lead to a decrease in the amount of electricity produced and a temporary increase in rationing hours," it said.

The explosions come at a time of rising protests over rising fuel prices, which authorities blame on the regional war with Iran.

Syria's oil, gas and electricity production have been heavily affected by the civil war that ravaged the country between 2011 and 2024.

Syria used to produce 30 million cubic meters of gas per day for electricity generation, compared to only 8.5 million now.

The domestic gas needs are estimated at between 22 and 25 million cubic meters per day, according to Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir.

Syria, Israel to Resume US-mediated Talks in Paris

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