Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli airstrikes targeting Syria’s Abu al-Duhur military airport

Syria and the United States both blamed Israel for striking a disused military air base in Idlib province on Tuesday, the Syria News Agency reported. The US termed the strikes an "unnecessary escalation" that fails to promote regional stability, according to a statement from US envoy Tom Barrack. Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, but it has conducted numerous strikes on Syria since the Islamist forces toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Israel has also sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone separating the two countries and carried out regular incursions deeper into Syrian territory. Israel aims to maintain a "security zone" in southern Syria, where it seeks a broader demilitarized area. The Syrian military source confirmed that Israeli aircraft targeted the runway with eight strikes, causing infrastructure damage but no casualties.

The facility had been inactive since 2012 and is currently protected by Syrian defense forces. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strikes followed a Turkish delegation's recent inspection of the site as part of efforts to reactivate it. Turkey, a key ally of the Syrian government, has strained relations with Israel due to Israel's war in Gaza and military actions in Syria.

Barrack, who is also the US ambassador to Turkey, urged all parties to prioritize logical discourse over military incidents. Syria's foreign ministry strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes, calling them an "unjustified act of aggression" and urging the international community and the UN Security Council to take a firm stance against Israel's repeated violations of Syrian sovereignty.

Despite tensions, Israel and Syria's new authorities have held several rounds of direct talks and agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism. Syrian Foreign Minister Saad al-Shaibani demanded an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel plans to keep troops in Syria.

UN Chief Antonio Guterres, during a visit to Damascus, emphasized that violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are unacceptable and must cease, reiterating that the Golan Heights are Syrian territory.