Riyadh eyeing Syria-Israel talks as prelude to normalizing ties with Tel Aviv: Report
Iran Press TV
Wednesday, 09 July 2025 3:02 PM
Saudi Arabia is eyeing the US-brokered talks between Israel and Syria as a potential step toward a future normalization agreement between Riyadh and the Israeli regime, according to a report.
A senior royal source told the Israeli TV channel (KAN) that Riyadh is closely monitoring Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the US, and believes that recent developments, particularly those involving Syria, could open the door to a trilateral arrangement between the Tel Aviv regime, Washington, and the Palestinian Authority, but without the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
The source added that the kingdom has been unhappy with repeated Israeli air raids on Syria, which, he said, had "undermined governance" in Damascus.
The HTS, a former branch of al-Qaeda, along with other militants, seized control of Damascus on December 8, 2024, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to leave the country.
Since Assad was toppled, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes against Syria and occupied large swathes of territory beyond the Golan Heights.
The new Syrian regime has been signaling a willingness to normalize ties with Tel Aviv.
The two sides are reportedly engaged in negotiations to reach a normalization agreement by 2026.
Amid the thaw with Israel, the United States revoked the foreign terrorist organization designation for the HTS, and US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to ease unilateral US sanctions against Syria.
The sanctions on Syria have been in place since 1979 in response to Damascus's foreign policy toward Israel.
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