US condemns ‘unnecessary escalation’ after Israeli airstrikes on Syrian airbase

The United States has strongly condemned recent Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian military airbase near the Turkish border, deeming the attack an "unnecessary escalation." Eight airstrikes targeted the Abu Duhur airport runway and storage facility on Tuesday, though no injuries were reported. Although Israel did not directly comment on the strikes, they accused Syria of "breaching" the security status quo by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase.

In response, Syrian state TV reported the attacks, while Syria and Turkey blamed Israel for the tensions. Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, expressed deep concern over the strikes, stating they do not advance regional stability. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that both countries agreed to a security status quo, which Syria was violating by permitting Turkish troops on the airbase.

Turkey denied any involvement of its troops and rejected Israel's allegations. The Abu Duhur airbase, out of service since 2013, was seized by rebel forces in December 2024, with Syria attempting to rebuild its military facilities post-Assad's overthrow. Despite Israel's history of airstrikes in Syria, US Ambassador Barrack noted that Syria has shown a preference for de-escalation with Israel, and the US remains open to facilitating diplomatic talks between the two sides.