2025-05-16T19:01:18+00:00

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Shafaq News/ Israel
and Syria’s transitional government have recently held direct talks in
Azerbaijan, a senior Israeli source told CNN on Friday.

According to the
source, the meeting was attended by Israeli military operations chief Maj. Gen.
Oded Basiuk and Syrian government representatives, with Turkish officials
present. It is the first report of face-to-face contact between Israel and
Syria under the leadership of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

While Syrian
officials have not commented on the meeting, Al-Sharaa revealed last week that his government was
engaged in indirect talks with Israel to halt attacks on Syrian territory,
warning against a potential loss of control by both sides.

The Israeli army
confirmed Basiuk’s visit to Azerbaijan but denied direct talks with Syrian
officials, saying the trip was aimed at coordinating with Turkiye on security
issues related to Syria.

This development
comes days after US President Donald Trump met with Al-Sharaa in Riyadh, pledging to lift
sanctions imposed on the former Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.

According to the White House, Trump urged
Al-Sharaa to normalize relations with Israel, expel foreign and Palestinian
militants from Syria, and support efforts to prevent the resurgence of ISIS.

Meanwhile, the US Treasury announced earlier
today that it was working to implement new authorizations under Trump’s
direction that would allow foreign investment in Syria’s economy, banking
sector, and infrastructure. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would
issue sanctions waivers but clarified that sanctions would not be fully lifted
until further progress is made.

Treasury is working with our colleagues at the State Department and National Security Council to execute the President’s direction on Syria sanctions. We look forward to implementing the necessary authorizations that would be critical to bringing new investment into Syria.…

— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) May 15, 2025

The diplomatic
overture comes amid rising tension on the ground in southern Syria. On May 16, Israeli
forces entered Kudna village in Quneitra countryside, setting up a checkpoint
and inspecting residents, prompting anger among locals, SOHR reported. The move
followed the recent withdrawal of six Israeli tanks from nearby villages, with
no official explanation provided for either the incursion or the pullback.