(MENAFN) Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ruled out the possibility of direct negotiations to normalize relations with Israel for the time being, as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes to revive his Abraham Accords initiative.

In an interview broadcast Monday, Sharaa said that Israel’s continued occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights — which expanded in 2024 following the fall of the Assad regime — makes Syria’s situation fundamentally different from that of other countries that signed normalization agreements.

"I believe that the situation in Syria is different from the situation of the countries who signed on to the Abraham Accords," he said in translated remarks during an interview.

"Syria has borders with Israel, and Israel occupies the Golan Heights since 1967. We are not going to enter into negotiation directly right now. Maybe the United States administration with President Trump will help us reach this kind of negotiation," he added.

The Abraham Accords, first launched during Trump’s earlier term, are U.S.-brokered agreements aimed at normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel and several Muslim-majority nations. Before Kazakhstan joined last week, the accords included Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump has previously expressed confidence that additional states — including Syria and Saudi Arabia — could eventually join the normalization framework.

When asked about the prospect of Syria joining the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh (ISIS), Sharaa said there are valid reasons for American forces to remain in Syria, but stressed the importance of coordination with Damascus.

"We need to discuss these matters, and we need to talk about and get into an agreement about ISIS," he said.

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