Al-Sharaa Says Israel-Syria Security Talks Reached 90% Before Israel Withdrew

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Israel and Syria had reached about 90% of a security agreement before Israel pulled back. Speaking at an Atlantic Council event in New York, he said the sides had held several direct sessions over roughly a year and that Israel gave its own reasons for stepping away. Al-Sharaa said Damascus would continue its diplomatic approach and that security arrangements might open a path to peace talks. He reiterated Syria's claim to the Golan Heights, which Israel controls.