Middle East live: Turkey rejects Israeli claims after strike on Syria air base

The United States and Israel jointly carried out a surprise airstrike on a Syrian airbase, citing concerns over a potential Turkish military buildup in the region. This action heightened tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Turkey, despite their close partnership with the U.S. President Donald Trump, who has had a historically strong relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appeared pleased with the military achievement.

However, this decision was met with strong disapproval from U.S. officials, who expressed deep concern over the escalation potential of such a move. The attack occurred early Tuesday morning, with Israeli forces targeting the Abu al-Duhur Airbase, damaging its runways and causing no casualties. Initially denying responsibility, Israel later confirmed the strike, stating that Syria had violated an agreement to maintain regional security by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase.

The Syrian and Turkish governments swiftly condemned the attack, with each accusing the other of destabilizing the region. The Israeli government had informed U.S. officials about the strike in advance, and President Trump had spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before the strike, though it's unclear if the topic was discussed.

Amidst these events, some U.S. officials suspect that the attack was motivated by Israel's upcoming October elections, as the Syrian government had been advocating for a new security agreement to prevent escalation. The U.S. administration sought to de-escalate the situation, proposing a joint coordination center in Jordan to manage such incidents, but Israel declined and instead intensified its military operations in southern Syria.