Syrian President Blames Israel for Stalled Peace Talks in Meeting with Trump

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa held a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump last week in Ankara, where he attributed the deadlock in peace negotiations to Israel's refusal to commit to withdrawal from occupied territories. According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, close to Hezbollah, al-Sharaa told Trump that Israel's rejection of including the term 'withdrawal' in any agreement halted the talks. He questioned the logic of signing any deal without Israeli withdrawal.

Al-Sharaa emphasized that Syria's stability depends on regaining full sovereignty over its territory, highlighting unresolved issues in southern Syria and the As-Suwayda region. He accused Israel of obstructing solutions in these areas. Regarding Trump's request for Syrian intervention in Lebanon against Hezbollah, al-Sharaa responded that ongoing Israeli occupation and attacks make disarming Hezbollah unrealistic, warning that forced attempts would plunge the region into chaos, which he claimed is Israel's intention.

In parallel, the report detailed a Turkish-Qatari initiative presented by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Trump during the same Ankara meeting. Erdoğan proposed U.S. support for a broad economic and regional project involving Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon to promote political and security stability. He identified Israeli occupation and aggression in Syria and Lebanon as primary causes of instability, undermining efforts to restrain Iran's allies. Erdoğan stressed the importance of a swift Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese and Syrian territories as a prerequisite for future security arrangements among the countries.

This report comes amid recent statements from U.S. and Israeli officials urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to redeploy forces outside Syria and Lebanon. A senior U.S. official quoted Trump telling Netanyahu, "Bibi, they don't want you there. You need to redeploy your forces." The developments underscore ongoing tensions and complex regional dynamics involving Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and their international stakeholders.