Key facts
- Israel conducted airstrikes on Syria's Abu al-Duhur air base.
- The U.S. envoy Tom Barrack described the strikes as an 'unnecessary escalation'.
- Turkey condemned the strikes as a violation of international law.
- Israel cited Syria's acceptance of Turkish troops at the air base as a security threat.
- Turkey denied Israeli allegations that it posed a threat.
Israel reportedly conducted eight airstrikes on Syria's Abu al-Duhur air base, drawing condemnation from Turkey and criticism from U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who called the attacks an 'unnecessary escalation' that does not advance regional stability. Israel stated that Syria was on the verge of breaching a security status quo by permitting Turkish troops to deploy to the airbase, which it viewed as a threat. Syria's foreign ministry labeled the strikes an 'unjustified act of aggression.' Turkey denied the Israeli allegations, asserting they were frivolous and aimed to legitimize unlawful strikes. The Abu Duhur base has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013 and was seized by rebel forces in December 2024. The U.S. is working to establish a deconfliction mechanism between Turkey, Israel, and Syria.