Syrian foreign minister to Axios: Israeli bombing of airbase was unjustified

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani told Axios that Israel's bombing of a Syrian airbase was unjustified. He emphasized that Syria was not working with Turkey to establish a military presence at the Abu al-Duhur airbase, which is located near the Turkish border. The strike, which occurred early Tuesday morning, damaged the recently rebuilt runways and hangars at the airbase but caused no casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned Syria not to allow a Turkish presence at the base before the strike, but Al-Shaibani stated that Israel had no legitimate justification for the bombing. He clarified that the work at the base was limited to rehabilitating the airfield and facilities damaged during the war, and that the base was largely empty and still in the rehabilitation stage.

Al-Shaibani also noted that Turkish military officers had visited the base several days prior to the strike, but stressed that it was part of ongoing military cooperation in training and expertise exchange. Syria has been working to rebuild its military and civilian institutions and benefit from cooperation with various countries, including Turkey.

Al-Shaibani maintained that Syria is a sovereign state and has the right to establish relations of cooperation and alliance with any country, including Turkey. He expressed the Syrian government's concerns to the U.S. administration about Israel's intentions towards Syria and the need for de-escalation in the region. While Syria remains open to negotiations with Israel to de-escalate tensions, Al-Shaibani emphasized that security concerns must be considered from both sides.