Syria sets up tripartite task force with Jordan and US to make Sweida ceasefire work

Syria, Jordan and the United States have agreed to establish a joint working group to consolidate a fragile ceasefire in the southern province of Sweida, scene of deadly sectarian clashes last month that threatened the country’s post-war transition.

The decision followed high-level talks in Amman on Tuesday between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and US special envoy Thomas Barrack. It was the second such meeting since July, part of a broader diplomatic effort to stabilise Syria under its transitional administration, formed after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December.

The discussions focused on sustaining peace in Sweida, protecting minority communities, promoting reconciliation, and supporting Syria’s reconstruction after nearly 14 years of conflict. Hundreds of people, including many civilians, were killed in last month’s violence between Druze fighters, Bedouin tribesmen, and government forces. Videos of alleged executions, including that of a medic inside a hospital, provoked national outrage and drew international calls for accountability.

A joint statement reaffirmed that Sweida, “with all its local communities, is an integral part of Syria” and that the safety and rights of its residents must be preserved. The parties welcomed the Syrian government commitments to investigate violations, hold perpetrators accountable, and work with United Nations agencies.

Although the July 19 ceasefire has survived tenuously so far, issues remain. Minorities still do not trust the new authorities in Damascus and are pushing for decentralisation. Damascus is also working hard to improve strained relations with US-backed, Kurdish-led forces in the northeast. Implementation of a deal signed to co-opt the Syrian Democratic Forces into the national army has not been working well, with sporadic clashes taking place.

The talks in Amman also addressed Syria’s battered economy. The United Nations estimated in 2017 that rebuilding would cost $250 billion, but experts now believe the figure exceeds $400 billion. Damascus is courting foreign investment to restore infrastructure, revive industries, and boost living standards. Several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have pledged billions of dollars. Last week, Syria signed 12 major investment agreements worth $14 billion, among them a $4 billion deal with Qatar’s UCC Holding to build a new airport and a $2 billion agreement with the UAE’s National Investment Corporation to construct a Damascus subway.

Energy cooperation was another focus. Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir met his Iraqi counterpart Hayan Abdel-Ghani to explore reactivating an oil pipeline between Kirkuk and the Syrian port city of Baniyas, home to one of the country’s two refineries. The pipeline, heavily damaged by years of conflict, could be rebuilt or replaced. Before 2011, Syria produced about 380,000 barrels of oil a day, generating more than $3 billion annually, but the sector has since collapsed. Syria now imports three million barrels a month in addition to its own limited output.

Regional diplomacy is also shaping Syria’s future. With Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon weakened and Assad gone, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has signalled interest in extending the Abraham Accords to Syria and Lebanon. Speaking in Jerusalem alongside Austria’s foreign minister, Saar said Israel wanted to expand the circle of normalisation while safeguarding its security interests. He insisted the Golan Heights, seized from Syria in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognised by the United Nations, would remain part of Israel in any future peace agreement.

Control of the Golan has long been a flashpoint, and Israel has intensified military operations in Syria since Assad’s fall. Following his removal, Israeli forces entered the UN-patrolled demilitarised zone and have conducted hundreds of airstrikes on military targets. In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s reduced standing follows a costly conflict with Israel last year, itself linked to the war in Gaza.

US envoy Barrack told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had expressed interest in peaceful relations with Israel. “He has indicated that he does not hate Israel and that he wants peace on that border,” Barrack said, adding that an agreement with Lebanon would also be a necessity.

Safadi and Barrack reaffirmed their countries’ support for Syria’s security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity. They called on the international community to back reconstruction efforts that respect Syria’s unity and the rights of all its people. The three sides agreed to meet again in the coming weeks to advance plans for the joint working group and other measures to strengthen the Sweida ceasefire and address the province’s crisis.

For Damascus, the diplomatic overtures mark a critical test of its ability to restore stability, rebuild trust among its diverse communities and re-engage with neighbours after decades of authoritarian rule and a devastating civil war.

Middle East