U.S. diplomat calls Israeli strikes on Syria base "unnecessary escalation"

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack expressed deep concern over Israel's recent airstrikes on a Syrian airbase in northern Idlib. The ambassador labeled the military action an "unnecessary escalation" that does not contribute to regional stability. Syrian officials and state media reported that at least four strikes hit the Abu al-Duhur Airbase on Monday night and Tuesday morning, causing damage but no casualties.

Barrack's comments come as part of the U.S.'s ongoing stance against Israeli military actions in Syria. The ambassador emphasized that Israel's actions have not advanced regional stability and urged all parties involved to prioritize logical discourse over further military incidents. The British war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, noted that the base, which has been out of service for some time, was once used by foreign fighters but has recently been cleared of them. Turkey, a supporter of Syria's new government, is working to rehabilitate the base.

Since the ousting of Syria's longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has carried out raids and strikes on Syrian territory. The regime's collapse led to Israeli troops entering a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone that separates Israeli and Syrian soldiers in the Golan Heights, an area Israel has occupied since 1967. Israeli forces have also conducted hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian army assets, mainly targeting facilities to render them unusable by the new government led by former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Israeli drone strikes on Damascus last year resulted in the death of eight soldiers and injuries to several others, prompting a warning from the Trump administration to Israel.