Secret Syria-Israel Talks in Baku: Transitional President Ahmed Al-Sharaa Reportedly Attended Despite Official Denials
Israeli and Syrian officials allegedly held security-focused meetings in Azerbaijan, with reports of high-level participation contradicting Syria’s public stance.
Watan-The Israeli outlet i24NEWS cited what it described as a well-informed Syrian source who claimed that Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, attended at least one direct meeting on Saturday with Israeli officials in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. This development contradicts the official Syrian narrative, which was echoed by state media denying any participation by Al-Shara in discussions with Israel.
According to the source, who is reportedly close to President Al-Sharaa, the meeting was part of a series of two or three sessions held between the two sides. The Syrian delegation included Foreign Minister Assad Al-Shibani and Ahmed Al-Dalati, Syria’s coordinator for security meetings with Israel.
The Israeli delegation featured a special envoy representing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with high-ranking military and security officials.
The discussions aimed to explore a potential security agreement between Syria and Israel, addressing key issues such as:
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The Iranian presence in Syria and Lebanon
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Hezbollah’s weapons
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Palestinian factions
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Refugee camps in Lebanon
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The future of Palestinian refugees from Gaza
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A possible Israeli coordination office in Damascus (non-diplomatic in nature)
The source emphasized that choosing Azerbaijan as the venue for these talks sends a “political message directed at Iran,” amid increasing tensions between Tehran and Damascus in recent weeks.
Official Syrian Denial
Meanwhile, Israel’s Kan TV reported that a direct meeting indeed took place on Saturday between Syrian and Israeli officials in Baku. The report stated that Syria demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Syria and discussed a range of “coordinations” between the two parties.
Kan also reported that Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Al-Shibani is expected to meet his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, on Monday at the European Union headquarters in Brussels—though no confirmation of a separate bilateral meeting has been provided.
Despite these developments, Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper quoted official sources categorically denying President Al-Shara’s participation in any meetings with Israeli delegations. They asserted that what is happening in Azerbaijan is part of a “de-escalation strategy, not normalization,” and described talk of a peace agreement as “premature.”
On the other hand, a well-informed diplomatic source in Damascus said the talks center around “the newly established Israeli military presence in southern Syria,” referring to Israeli advances following the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime over seven months ago.
Goal: Prevent Escalation
Back in May, President Al-Sharaa acknowledged that his government was “holding indirect talks with Israel through mediators” to “prevent loss of control and contain escalation.” These remarks were supported by Israeli reports, including from Channel 12 and Haaretz, which confirmed direct meetings—some in Baku—with Turkish officials present.
Azerbaijan has emerged as a flexible diplomatic platform with strong ties to Israel and political coordination with Turkey, making it a central venue for undisclosed negotiations on the Syrian file.
In recent months, President Al-Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Riyadh, where Trump announced the lifting of American sanctions on Damascus. Al-Sharaa also expressed openness to “regional initiatives to restore stability” during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
