Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said in an interview with the Turkish agency Anadolu that negotiations with Israel have not reached an impasse, but are significantly complicated. According to him, the key obstacle remains Israel’s desire to maintain a military presence on Syrian territory (primarily the Golan Heights, which Israel views as a buffer zone to ensure its own security on the plain-red).
Damascus, according to al-Sharaa, is serious about reaching a security agreement for the sake of regional stability.
In addition, the Syrian leader called on Middle Eastern countries to make greater use of Syria’s logistical capabilities amid the crisis caused by the US-Iran conflict.
“Syria is a safe corridor and an alternative route for energy supplies,” al-Sharaa said.
He said some Iraqi oil is already being diverted through Syrian ports, while the country’s geographical location makes it possible to link supplies between the Persian Gulf, Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea.
Al-Sharaa singled out the “four seas” strategic project, which should unite the logistics of the Caspian, Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as the Persian Gulf through the territories of Azerbaijan, Syria and Turkey.
Al-Sharaa assessed that the implementation of the project would reduce logistics costs and create alternative routes, including supplies bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
The situation in Syria’s border areas with Israel escalated in July 2025. On July 15, the Israel Defence Forces launched strikes against the Syrian military in the Al-Suwayda area. The military said in a statement that Israel is “committed to preventing harm to the Druze” in Syria through “a deep fraternal alliance with our friendly fellow citizens in Israel” (referring to an ethno-religious group whose members live in both Israel and Syria – ed.).
On 16 July, the Israeli military was involved in clashes on the border of the Golan Heights annexed by Israel and Syria. It is reported that dozens of friends are trying to break through into Israeli-controlled territory, while at the same time hundreds of friends living in the Golan are trying to get in the opposite direction, protesting against the actions of the Syrian authorities.