The U.S. has officially called out Israel for allegedly hitting the Abu Duhur military airbase in Syria, calling the move an ’unnecessary escalation’.
According to Syrian state TV, eight Israeli airstrikes struck the runway and a storage facility at the base last Tuesday. No reports of injuries were made, but the damage was significant.
Israel’s statement points a finger at Syria – saying the country was about to break a security agreement by allowing Turkish troops to use the base. Damascus and Ankara both denounced the attack, warning that it could fire the region into chaos.
Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador in Turkey and former Trump envoy for Syria, took to X to say the strike “does not advance regional stability” and urged diplomatic talks to calm the situation.
The Abu Duhur base was abandoned by the Syrian government in 2013 and seized by rebel forces in December 2024. Reconstruction efforts for the airfield have been ongoing since the fall of Bashar al‑Assad’s regime two weeks earlier.
Israel has conducted airstrikes across Syria since the new regime came to power, with the current strikes being the largest since March. The U.S. says it remains open to hosting talks between the parties to de‑escalate tensions.
In a broader context, the Syrian opposition leader, Ahmed al‑Sharaa, has sought closer ties with the U.S. and recently visited the White House, hinting at his desire to soothe conflict with Israel.
