Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Wednesday that negotiations with Israel may produce a formal security agreement “in the coming days,” marking the most significant progress between the longtime adversaries in years.

Speaking ahead of his trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, al-Sharaa described the pact as a “necessity” for regional stability and said any deal must guarantee Syrian airspace, respect territorial integrity and be monitored by the United Nations, according to Reuters.

A Syrian Foreign Ministry official confirmed progress, telling AFP that several security and military agreements could be signed by year’s end.

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met Wednesday in London with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, the American ambassador to Turkey, for a third round of U.S.-mediated talks, Axios reported. The five-hour session included Syria’s formal response to an Israeli proposal for a security arrangement, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

Washington has pressed for an agreement ahead of the U.N. gathering, Reuters reported, though al-Sharaa rejected claims of U.S. pressure, saying Washington was acting only as a mediator.

The negotiations come amid Israel’s continued military presence at strategic Syrian sites, including Mount Hermon, seized after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. Al-Sharaa compared Syria’s demands to the 1974 disengagement deal following the Yom Kippur War, while noting that Israel has indicated it wants to remain at the posts.

On the Golan Heights — recognized by President Donald Trump in his first term as Israeli territory — al-Sharaa said it was “too early” to discuss.

The Syrian leader also disclosed that an agreement was close earlier this summer, but violence in Sweida Province, involving Druze militias, Sunni Bedouin tribes and regime-allied forces, derailed the talks. Israel intervened to protect the Druze minority and is planning additional assistance.

Barrack, the U.S. envoy, referenced those events on X, endorsing a Jordanian statement on a joint roadmap for Sweida. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted the message, praising Trump’s “peace through strength” approach and highlighting efforts to advance accountability, reconciliation and minority rights in Syria.

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