Ahmad al-Sharaa said a security agreement with Israel was essential and must respect Syria’s airspace and territorial integrity. He argued that if the agreement were successful, it could pave the way for other accords, but stressed that peace and normalization were not on the table at this stage.
Iran’s opposition marked the third anniversary of the killing of Mahsa Amini, who died after being beaten by the regime’s morality police. Her death sparked a nationwide protest movement. Overnight, thousands marched in Tehran, while political prisoners burned a noose inside prison in defiance of executions and religious coercion.
Under US pressure, Syria accelerates talks with Israel on a deal it hopes will secure the return of territory recently seized by Israel. Meanwhile a security source said Israel is supplying weapons and salaries to 3,000 Druze fighters in Syria.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in the Gulf emirate to meet senior officials and finalize a deal to strengthen security ties between the two countries.
After the attempted Israeli elimination of senior Hamas leaders in Qatar, dozens of heads of state and foreign ministers are gathering in Doha for an “emergency summit.” Officials speak of the need to show solidarity, but competing interests and rivalries are expected to limit the outcome.
An Iranian lawmaker has urged Qatar to expel US forces and allow Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to deploy missiles on its territory to counter Israel, Iran International report.
A spokesman for Turkey’s Defense Ministry admitted that Ankara is concerned about an escalation of its conflict with Israel. A regional expert told The Washington Post that Israel’s ability to carry out strikes “with apparent impunity, often bypassing regional air defenses and international norms, sets a precedent that greatly worries Ankara.”
The Syrian president confirmed that negotiations are taking place with Israel aimed, from Damascus’ perspective, at renewing the 1974 ceasefire agreement. This would require Israel to withdraw from areas it captured over the past year, including Mount Hermon.
Al Arabiya reported Friday that Egypt has allegedly decided to reduce its security coordination with Israel until further notice, following the strike in Qatar targeting senior Hamas officials. The report, which cited unnamed sources, has not been confirmed by any other outlet.
A series of reports by the Erdogan-linked news site GZT lists numerous military and civilian sites inside Israel as potential targets.
