Al-Sharaa Vows Golan Heights Remain Syrian in UN Speech

Bashar al‑Assad made a pointed remark at an Atlantic Council panel in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, saying he had told former U.S. President Donald Trump that the United States had no right to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The Syrian leader added a sarcastic comment that the U.S. president should instead “give New Jersey to Israel,” a jab aimed at the 2019 U.S. decision to formally recognise Israeli control of the territory.

The Golan Heights, captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Six‑Day War, remain a flashpoint in the Arab‑Israeli conflict. Syria has consistently demanded the return of the plateau, while Israel considers it a vital security buffer. The U.S. recognition was criticised by Syria and other Arab states, which view the move as a violation of international law and the United Nations Security Council resolution that calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Assad’s comments, made in a setting that included diplomats, scholars and policy experts, underscored his government’s continued opposition to the U.S. stance and its broader diplomatic strategy against Israel.

The panel’s discussion highlighted the broader geopolitical implications of U.S. policy in the Middle East, with analysts noting that such statements from Syrian leadership may influence regional dynamics and diplomatic negotiations. While the U.S. maintains that its recognition was a matter of sovereign decision, Assad’s remarks reflect the enduring divide over the Golan Heights and the broader Israeli‑Palestinian and Arab‑Israeli disputes.