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

The United States has issued a rare rebuke of Israel after reports emerged it struck a Syrian military airbase near the Turkish border, calling the attack an “unnecessary escalation”.

Eight airstrikes hit the Abu Duhur airport runway and storage facility on Tuesday, according to Syrian state TV, although there were no reports of injuries.

Israel, while not commenting on the strikes directly, said Syria “was on the verge of breaching” the security status quo, accusing Damascus of allowing Turkish troops to deploy to the airbase.

Syria and Turkey blamed the Israeli military for the attacks that they said threaten to escalate tensions in the region.

Tom Barrack, the US ambassador in Turkey, who was also appointed as Donald Trump’s special envoy for Syria and Iraq, criticised the attacks in a statement posted on social media.

“We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability,” Barrack wrote on X.

The office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a statement: “Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.”

Syria’s foreign ministry called the attacks “an unjustified act of aggression” imperilling regional “security and stability”.

Turkey, meanwhile, did not confirm whether any of its troops moved to the Abu Duhur airbase, which sits 70km from the Turkish border. However, Ankara rejected Israel’s suggestion that it posed a threat.

“The frivolous allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office aim to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Turkey’s Communications Directorate said in a statement quoted by the Anadolu state news agency.

Abu Duhur has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013. Rebel forces seized control of the base as they swept through the country in December 2024.

Syria has been trying to rebuild its military facilities that were damaged during the blitz offensive that saw Bashar al-Assad’s government overthrown within two weeks.

The Turkish military has provided assistance to Syria since the overthrow of Assad, while Israel continues to view both countries with deep suspicion.

Israel has carried out airstrikes on parts of central and southern Syria since Al-Sharaa came to power, with the latest strikes being the most significant since March.

Barrack said that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the rebel forces against Assad, “has neither adopted not maintained proxy forces” and “repeatedly indicated a preference for de-escalation with Israel”.

The US would continue to offer to host diplomatic discussions between both sides to address “kinetic frustrations”, Barrack added.

Al-Sharaa has forged closer ties with the west since coming to power, particularly the US – signified when he became the first Syrian leader to visit the White House in November last year.