US condemns Israeli attack on Syrian air base: Special envoy for Syria calls it an 'unnecessary escalation'

The U.S. government condemned on Tuesday the airstrikes carried out by Israel against a disused military base in northwestern Syria, amid a series of tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv that have been ongoing since the joint war against Iran that began in February, when both countries succeeded in taking out the Iranian regime's leadership, sparking a regional conflict that has now been ongoing for six months.

Tom Barrack, special envoy to Syria for President Donald Trump and U.S. ambassador to Turkey, was the one who led the criticism in a post on his X account, hours after White House adviser Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza, agreeing on a roadmap to achieve peace.

According to The New York Times, eight airstrikes hit the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Idlib province, about 25 miles from the border with Turkey. The facility has been out of service since 2013, and no casualties were reported, according to Syrian state media cited by Western outlets.

"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.

The diplomat, who also serves as envoy to Iraq, came to the defense of the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom Trump has openly supported since he took office following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2024. "The Al-Sharra government has neither adopted a predatory posture nor maintained proxy forces. It has, in fact, repeatedly indicated a preference for de-escalation with Israel," he added.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry described the bombing as "an unjustified act of aggression, a flagrant violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a dangerous escalation that threatens security and stability in the region." Turkey, a key ally of Damascus, also condemned the offensive and accused Israel of violating international law.

Relations between Turkey and Israel have suffered significantly due to the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

This incident adds to a series of clashes between Washington and Netanyahu in recent months. Trump opted for a diplomatic solution with Iran despite Israeli objections, while Netanyahu last week rejected a peace plan backed by the White House calling for the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza. In June, the two leaders had a tense and heated phone exchange after Israel attacked Lebanon and complicated ceasefire negotiations with Tehran. According to various reports, during that call, President Trump raised his voice at his Israeli counterpart, calling him disloyal and accusing him of being "crazy" for the new rounds of bombings.

Netanyahu, who faces a challenging re-election campaign this fall, has hardened his security stance since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and has stood firm in his disagreements with Washington, always upholding Israel's position that it has the right to defend itself against its regional adversaries.

Israel has maintained intense military activity in Syria since Assad's departure, carrying out hundreds of airstrikes and deploying troops in the south of the country. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) organization, Tel Aviv built nine new military outposts and supporting infrastructure in the area, raising concerns in Damascus about a potentially prolonged military presence.