Israel’s strikes push Syria towards Mecca defence pact membership

Syria is considering joining a mutual-defense pact involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, a move that could be a consequence of Israel's efforts to hinder Syria's military rebuilding with Turkish assistance. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani reportedly conveyed this to Mossad chief Roman Gofman during a meeting in Amman on Sunday. Despite this development, Syria's primary objective remains a Washington-mediated security agreement with Israel. Such a deal would involve Israeli forces withdrawing from occupied territories in southwest Syria, areas they have held since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met with Israeli intelligence officials, including the head of Mossad, in Jordan on August 24, 2026, to de-escalate tensions. The US mediated these talks, which aimed to establish mechanisms to halt Israeli attacks and revive negotiations for a security agreement. Discussions also covered easing tensions between Israel and Turkiye and preventing their rivalry from impacting Syria. Syria stressed its sovereignty and right to rebuild its army, while Israel reportedly set red lines including preventing Turkish military activity and keeping the Golan Heights demilitarized. Previous US-mediated talks had stalled, but Syria indicated a willingness for diplomacy despite distrust.

Syria and Israel held high-level talks in Jordan on Sunday. The discussions focused on de-escalation following recent Israeli strikes and on preventing Syria from being drawn into tensions between Israel and Turkey. These negotiations follow a January agreement to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism, signaling progress towards a security agreement between Syria and Israel. The talks occurred shortly after Israel bombed the Abu Duhur airbase, stating its aim was to prevent Turkish troop deployment there, a claim denied by Ankara.