Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has ruled out any plans to normalize relations with Israel, citing the ongoing occupation of the Golan Heights.

“Our conflict with Israel is fundamentally different from that of other Arab states. The Abraham Accords were signed with countries that had neither occupied land nor direct confrontation with Israel. Syria’s situation is different—our Golan Heights remain under occupation. At this moment, normalization is not on the table,” al-Sharaa said.

He emphasized that Damascus’s priority is stabilizing southern Syria under the 1974 UN-mediated disengagement agreement or international supervision.

Al-Sharaa is scheduled to attend the UN General Assembly in September, making him the first Syrian president to do so since 1967. “This participation itself sends a message—Syria is no longer isolated and is returning to the arena of international diplomacy,” he noted.

Relations between Syria and the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and European nations have reportedly improved significantly in recent months.