CaliToday (24/9/2025): Syria’s new leader, President Ahmed al-Sharaa, issued a stark warning on Tuesday that the Middle East faces a renewed cycle of instability unless a security agreement is reached with Israel that respects Syrian sovereignty. The president’s remarks came during a landmark visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, the first by a Syrian head of state in nearly six decades.
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| Syria's president Ahmed al-Sharaa rejected any talk of partitioning his country, as Israel makes incursions (Bing Guan) |
In a direct address at an event hosted by the Middle East Institute, President al-Sharaa, a former jihadist commander whose forces overthrew the long-ruling Bashar al-Assad regime in December, articulated the precarious position of his transitional government and the urgent need for a de-escalation of hostilities with its historic adversary.
"We are not the ones creating problems for Israel. We are scared of Israel, not the other way around," al-Sharaa stated, candidly expressing the power imbalance. He emphasized the significant risks associated with the current situation, where Israel has capitalized on Syria's period of transition by launching numerous military strikes.
"There are multiple risks with Israel stalling on the negotiations and insisting on violating our airspace and incursions into our territory," he warned.
Talks between the two nations are reportedly in advanced stages, with Syrian officials hopeful that a deal could be finalized by the end of the year. However, al-Sharaa has been clear to distinguish this potential security pact from a broader political normalization. In a separate appearance, he downplayed the prospect of Syria recognizing Israel or joining accords similar to the Abraham Accords, citing the more than 1,000 Israeli strikes since Assad's fall and the ongoing conflict in Gaza as significant obstacles to public acceptance.
A key point of contention is Israel's ongoing military incursions into southern Syria, which Israel has justified as necessary to protect the interests of the minority Druze community. President al-Sharaa vehemently rejected this premise and any discussions of partitioning the country. He warned that such a scenario would have dire consequences for the entire region, potentially unraveling the fragile stability of neighboring states.
"Jordan is under pressure, and any talk of partitioning Syria will hurt Iraq, will also hurt Turkey," he asserted. "That will take us all back to square one," he added, reminding the international community that Syria is only just beginning to emerge from a devastating war that spanned nearly a decade and a half.
The visit to the UN and the high-stakes diplomatic engagement with both the United States and, indirectly, Israel, represent a critical moment for al-Sharaa's fledgling government as it seeks international legitimacy and the stability required to begin rebuilding the war-torn nation. The outcome of the security negotiations with Israel will be a pivotal factor in determining the future trajectory of not only Syria but the wider Middle East.
