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Turkish-Israeli Tensions Escalate Following Israeli Strike on Abu al-Duhur Air Base in Syria
With Israel claiming responsibility for the strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur military air base, tensions between Turkey and Israel are escalating, accompanied by increasingly sharp rhetoric from both sides.
In the latest statement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is “dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria,” adding: “Israel will not allow any entity to threaten its security.”
Messages Exchanged Following the Strike
Turkey strongly rejected on Wednesday what it described as “baseless claims” made by Israel regarding the nature of Ankara’s military presence in Syria.
Meanwhile, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel “will not tolerate any threat to its security,” while expressing support for a return to what it described as the “security reality” that previously existed with Syria.
In Damascus, the Syrian government strongly condemned the Israeli strike on the airport in two identical letters addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN Security Council President Kristina Lescinska. Syria described the attack as “unjustified aggression and a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” warning that it represents a dangerous escalation that threatens security and stability in the region.
U.S. Anger Over the Israeli Strike
In a notable development, U.S. officials told Axios that the Israeli strike on Abu al-Duhur air base had triggered anger inside the White House and among senior officials in Washington.
According to the officials, Israel informed the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump that the strike was intended to prevent Turkey from expanding its military presence in Syria, highlighting the growing tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv over military and security influence inside Syrian territory.
