Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Wednesday the country has had indirect talks with Israel to bring down tensions as Israeli strikes continued to target Syria.
Reuters reported the United Arab Emirates has set up a backchannel for talks between Israel and Syria, as Syria's new rulers seek regional help to manage an increasingly hostile relationship with their southern neighbor.
Sharaa said the negotiations with Israel were being conducted through mediators, without naming them.
"There are indirect talks with Israel through mediators to calm and attempt to absorb the situation so that it does not reach a level that both sides lose control over," he said, reiterating blame on Israel over what he described as its "random interventions" in Syria.
He also said Damascus was talking to states that communicate with Israel to "pressure them to stop intervening in Syrian affairs and bomb some of its infrastructure."