Syrian president open to normalising ties with Israel 'under right conditions'

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is willing to normalise ties with Israel and join the Abraham Accords under the “right conditions' as he seeks relief from international sanctions and deal with the Israeli occupation in southwestern Syria. 

The statement came after Syrian President Al-Sharaa met with US President Donald Trump's ally Cory Mills in Damascus. 

In an interview with Bloomberg, Mills revealed that they discussed the essential steps to dismantle the sanctions.

Mills said he suggested that Sharaa must neutralise all weapons left behind by the previous US-backed Bashar al-Assad government, which he collected by partnering with neighbouring countries to counter terrorism and deal with foreign fighters who were added to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Read: Israel wipes out 80% of Syria's military assets

Mills emphasised that President Al-Sharaa shouls 'provide assurances' to Israel. 

Syria has faced repeated Israeli attacks since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. Furthermore, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deployed troops to occupy a strategic area in southwestern Syria, providing Israel with a military presence overlooking Damascus.

Sharaa is confronting numerous challenges, including the Israeli occupation of Syria. The country's economy lies in ruins, with widespread poverty and an estimated $400 billion needed for post-civil war reconstruction.

The US imposed crippling sanctions on Syria, following Assad's crackdown on protesters, have largely persisted even after the regime change. Additional sanctions, including the designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, have been in place since 1979.