Mossad head Gofman, Syrian FM met in an effort to lower tensions between Jerusalem, Damascus

A meeting between Israel's Mossad chief Roman Gofman and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Sunday was described as having "went well" amid ongoing efforts to lower tensions between the two countries. The meeting, reported by N12 News, aimed to foster dialogue and reduce regional friction.

The diplomatic engagement followed comments made by al-Shaibani to Reuters on Saturday, where he urged Israel to seize a "historic opportunity" for diplomacy. However, he also expressed skepticism, stating, "We do not trust Israel currently," and emphasizing that contact would only be valuable if it yielded results.

This meeting and the preceding statements come in the wake of an Israeli strike on Syria's Abu al-Duhur military airfield earlier in the week. Sources told The Jerusalem Post that the strike was intended to prevent the deployment of a Turkish radar and air defense system in the area. The diplomatic overtures suggest a complex interplay of military actions and attempts at de-escalation in the region.

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We believe there should be contact, especially with a party that constantly threatens the security of Syria. But if this contact doesn’t bring results, then we don’t need it. We do not trust Israel currently.