The government of Syria condemned neighboring Israel on Tuesday, accusing it of executing airstrikes on a military airport reportedly being used to train its new military. While Israeli officials have not confirmed that they were responsible for the strikes, the administration of President Donald Trump moved rapidly to support Damascus.
Multiple reports, citing Syrian government sources, reported that “unidentified fighter jets” bombed the Abu Duhur military airport in Idlib between Monday night and Tuesday morning. The strikes reportedly targeted the main runway of the facility; the Syrian government has not offered any information regarding the scale of the damage at press time.
It is not clear why the airstrikes targeted the military base at this particular time. The Times of Israel noted that the site is currently being used as a training center for the military but not as an active airfield. Reports from Syria indicate that the strikes followed a recent visit by Turkish military officials who were reportedly looking to help Syria renovate the site for its use as an airbase once again.
Israeli news outlets reported that the government there had not, as of Tuesday morning, taken responsibility for the attack; the Jerusalem Post cited anonymous “Israeli sources” who “declined to take responsibility” and “insisted that Israel was not involved.”
The Syrian government has not at press time revealed any casualty counts or offered an assessment of any destruction at the site, but expressed outrage at being targeted and stated that it was sure the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were responsible. Damascus treated the alleged strikes as definitely Israeli.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the alleged strikes as “an unjustified act of aggression and a dangerous escalation threatening regional security and stability,” demanding both an end to the alleged Israeli military action and support from the international community, in particular the United Nations. The Ministry, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), “said continued Israeli attacks since December 8, 2024, while Syria exercises restraint and works to consolidate stability and avoid escalation, reveal attempts by the Israeli occupation to undermine those efforts and push the region toward further tension and instability.”
President Trump’s ambassador to Turkey and Special Representative for Syria, Tom Barrack, rapidly issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the strikes and describing them as “confirmed” to have been conducted by Israel. He described the Trump administration as “deeply concerned” by Israel’s behavior.
“The confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability,” Barrack wrote. “The [Ahmed] 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.”
“The United States has in the past, and will continue in the future, to host discussions to encourage diplomatic cadence over kinetic frustration for both nations. Enduring de-escalation agreements are built through sustained dialogues with all concerned nations and principals,” the statement continued. “The United States continues to believe that restraint and engagement offer the more constructive course. We encourage all parties to prioritize logical discourse over further military incidents.”
Barrack had met with Syria’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, on Monday in Istanbul, reportedly to discuss expanding American-Syrian relations.
“The two sides also discussed priorities for Syria’s economic recovery, including completing the lifting of sanctions imposed on the country and pushing reconstruction circle forwards,” SANA reported, offering few details, nor any indication that tensions with Israel were part of the discussion.
The Syrian government is currently run by a formerly wanted jihadist, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of the al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Prior to toppling the longstanding regime of dictator Bashar Assad in December 2014, Sharaa went by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, a reference to the disputed Golan Heights, which Israel controls. Sharaa’s long history as an al-Qaeda affiliated Islamist terrorist has caused significant hesitation in Jerusalem regarding potential thawing of diplomatic relations, though Sharaa himself has repeatedly stated an interest in peace with Israel — with the caveat that he will not yield on claims to the Golan Heights.
“If the security agreement succeeds and Israel agrees to the security side, and Syria does as well, along with all the conditions of the agreement that may be concluded later,” Sharaa said in an interview with Al Jazeera in July, “this would qualify the situation for a second stage of talks about a comprehensive peace — without conceding Syria’s right to the occupied Golan Heights.”
Sharaa stated he was “avoiding any clashes with Israel” but could not accept joining President Trump’s Abraham Accords, a global plan to establish peace between Israel and Islamic countries, unless Israel gave up control of the Golan Heights.
President Trump has been highly complimentary of Sharaa since meeting him for the first time in Saudi Arabia in May 2025, calling him a “young, attractive guy” who deserved diplomatic support. President Trump announced in July that he would begin the process to remove Syria from the State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list which would dramatically expand economic opportunities for the country.
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