Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Damascus is actively pursuing a security agreement with Israel, with talks involving several countries. In an interview on Al Jazeera’s Al Muqabla program, reported on July 26, 2026, he said the arrangement could reduce tensions between the two countries and potentially open a path toward a broader peace agreement.

Al-Sharaa said Syria does not want to become involved in a direct conflict with Israel at present. He stressed that any security understanding would not undermine Syria’s rights over the occupied Golan Heights. He described a security framework as a possible foundation for addressing a wider, long-term crisis.

His remarks came after Israel carried out multiple military operations and air strikes in southern Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024 and al-Sharaa’s rise to power. Al-Sharaa also denied plans for Syrian military intervention in neighboring Lebanon, saying instability there would directly affect Syria. He said Lebanon’s crisis requires an integrated political, economic and social solution rather than a security-only approach.