Israel Strikes Air Base in Syria, Drawing Ire From the U.S.

On Tuesday, Israel conducted airstrikes against a decommissioned military airfield in northwestern Syria, a move that prompted the United States to denounce the attack as a threat to regional stability, reflecting mounting American frustration with Israel.

Both Syrian and U.S. officials confirmed that Israel was responsible for the strike, though the Israeli military offered no comment. Eight bombs struck the Abu al-Duhur airfield in Idlib, located roughly 40 miles from Turkey, according to Syrian state media, and no casualties were reported.

The Trump administration has been a strong supporter of Syria’s new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and U.S. Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack posted on social media that Israel’s actions “constitute an unnecessary escalation.”

Barrack, who also serves as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, added, “The Al‑Sharaa government has not adopted a predatory stance nor maintained proxy forces; instead, it has consistently signaled a desire to de‑escalate with Israel.”

Barrack’s remarks came after several recent rifts between Israel and the United States over the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the U.S.–Iran confrontation.

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — once close allies — have diverged in their regional strategies.

Trump opted for a diplomatic approach to end the war with Iran, despite Israeli objections. Regarding Gaza, Netanyahu rejected a U.S.-backed proposal for Hamas to disarm earlier this month. Trump has continued to support al‑Sharaa, even as Netanyahu and his allies voice strong skepticism.

Netanyahu is confronting a challenging re‑election campaign this fall, which pressures him to avoid concessions that could be portrayed as weakness. He has also embraced a tougher security doctrine after the Hamas‑led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, analysts note.

The airfield has been inactive since 2013, and control of the site shifted multiple times throughout the roughly 14‑year civil war between Bashar al‑Assad’s government and rebel groups.

These strikes are part of a wider pattern of Israeli military operations in Syria that intensified after rebels led by al‑Shara entered Damascus in 2024 and toppled al‑Assad.

Syria’s new authorities have swiftly consolidated control nationwide, bringing a degree of calm after years of intense conflict. Nonetheless, the peace remains fragile, marked by occasional attacks from Islamic State and other extremist groups, as well as sporadic sectarian violence that flared twice last year.

Al‑Sharaa has been more willing to engage Israel than his predecessors, who maintained hostility for five decades. His government has participated in U.S.-brokered back‑channel talks with Israel aimed at reducing tensions — the first such discussions in over a decade — and Barrack was instrumental in facilitating them.

Al‑Sharaa’s openness reflects a wider realignment of Middle Eastern alliances in recent years; the former Assad regime was closely tied to Iran and hostile to Turkey, while the new Syrian government has reversed those ties.

Nevertheless, the back‑channel talks have done little to restrain Israel’s military activities in Syria.

Since al‑Assad’s ouster, the Israeli military has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian targets and deployed troops deep into southern Syria near its border with Israel. It has also constructed nine new outposts and supporting infrastructure such as roads and electricity networks in the south, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a nonprofit that monitors global conflict.

These actions have fueled fears in Syria that Israel intends to establish a long‑term presence and may expand its operations beyond the southern border region.

Israeli officials have defended the strikes as essential to prevent hostile forces such as Iran‑backed Hezbollah or the Islamic State from entrenching themselves in Syrian territory.

The reason for targeting the Idlib base remains unclear; the city had been a stronghold of the rebel coalition that toppled Assad.

Two anonymous Syrian government officials said the strikes followed a recent Turkish delegation visit to the airfield, part of talks aimed at rehabilitating the facility.

Although Turkey remains a key ally of the Syrian government, its ties with Israel have soured after the Gaza war and Israel’s operations in Syria. Last year, Israel hit two air bases in Homs Province after Turkish delegations inspected them for potential use.

Turkish officials have not commented on the strikes.

Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting from Tel Aviv.

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