By Ikram Kouachi
Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met Saturday Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Türkiye and Washington’s special envoy to Syria, to discuss the situation in Syria including a newly brokered ceasefire in the southern province of Suwayda.
Safadi and Barrack reviewed efforts to enforce the ceasefire agreement reached earlier Saturday and emphasized the “importance of its implementation to protect Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and civilian population,” according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.
Both sides agreed that the truce was a “critical step toward halting bloodshed and restoring stability and rule of law in Syria.”
Safadi praised the US for its “pivotal role” in facilitating the ceasefire and reiterated Jordan’s “commitment to continuing cooperation with Washington in efforts aimed at ensuring Syria’s security and the well-being of its people.”
The Jordanian foreign minister also strongly condemned Israel’s repeated military attacks on Syrian territory, calling them “a flagrant violation of international law” and a dangerous breach of Syria’s sovereignty.
He warned that such actions “undermine regional peace and threaten the safety and unity of the Syrian people.”
Barrack, in a post on X, said Jordan "plays a critical leadership role in the region, and we are making positive steps to support a unified, stable Syria at peace with its neighbors, including our Jordanian allies."
Earlier in the day, the Syrian presidency announced a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire following days of unrest in Suwayda.
On July 13, clashes broke out between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze groups in Suwayda. Violence escalated and Israeli airstrikes followed, including on Syrian military positions and infrastructure in Damascus. Israel cited the “protection of Druze communities” as a pretext for its attacks.
Barrack on late Friday said a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Syria. He urged the Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis "to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors."