US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack stated on Monday that Israel and Syria are not close to signing a security agreement, amid reports that such an agreement could be signed by the end of September.
Speaking to Axios’ Barak Ravid, Barrack said, "They have mutual intent and desire but at the moment, there is still more work to do.”
Barrack added, "Constructive dialogue between these nation states is the on ramp to a long-lasting understanding that will be the preface to stability and prosperity in the region."
A report on Monday on i24NEWS stated that the Trump administration is actively working to broker a preliminary security understanding between Israel and Syria ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.
A source familiar with the ongoing discussions said, “There is a real possibility of reaching certain security agreements between the two countries by then.”
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to attend the General Assembly in New York on September 25, marking the first appearance by a Syrian leader at the event in years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also expected to arrive the same day and deliver his address to the Assembly the following day.
A report last week by the Saudi-owned newspaper Independent Arabia suggested that Israel and Syria are expected to sign the security agreement on September 25.
On Sunday, al-Sharaa confirmed that "advanced talks" are underway between Damascus and Jerusalem aimed at reaching a security agreement. He noted that these steps could open the door to initiatives potentially leading to further agreements in the future.