Syria’s Sharaa says country in talks with ‘Israel’ over “security agreement”

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has spoken about his country's foreign policy, accusing ‘Israel’ of having a plot to divide Syria.

In a wide-ranging interview, he addressed Syria's relations with regional and international powers, warning that the country would not be divided.

"If northeastern Syria wants to move toward a kind of division, then Iraq and Turkey will be greatly harmed," al-Sharaa said.

He claimed ‘Israel’s’ actions showed it was "saddened by the fall of the previous regime," and that Tel Aviv had a plan for a "divided Syria."

He also accused ‘Israel’ of using its "muscles" to handle its security failures.

1974 Agreement

Al-Sharaa stated that ‘Israel’ viewed the fall of the previous regime as an opportunity to exit the 1974 disengagement agreement. However, he maintained that Syria "showed its commitment from the first moment" to the agreement.

"We have sent messages to the United Nations and asked that the UNDOF forces return to their original positions," al-Sharaa said.

"There are ongoing negotiations for a security agreement to ensure Israel returns to its state before December 8."

On Internal Affairs

The Syrian president also addressed the situation in the Sweida region, stating that a dispute between Bedouins and the Druze community had escalated.

He said "mistakes were made by all sides" and that a fact-finding committee has been formed to hold those responsible accountable.

Regarding the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), al-Sharaa said the Arab component in northeastern Syria represents more than 70% of the population, adding that "the SDF does not represent the entire Kurdish component, so we cannot say this is the voice of the region there." He noted that negotiations with the SDF had been going well but now seem to be stalled.

On International Relations

Al-Sharaa said that Syria has built a good relationship with the United States and the West. He also noted that Russia is an important country in the world and a member of the UN Security Council.

The president concluded by expressing confidence that things will improve with "patience and trust" and that "the improvement will be seen by the people every month."