Israel's Syria strike risked scrambling Turkish jets, military escalation, US envoy tells 'Post'

A recent Israeli airstrike on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase in Idlib risked a direct military confrontation with Turkey, according to US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack. Barrack stated that Turkish forces were unaware of the Israeli aircraft's presence, potentially leading them to scramble their own jets. The Prime Minister's Office claimed the strike was a response to Syria nearing a violation of a security status quo by allowing Turkish troops at the airbase. Barrack emphasized the urgent need for improved communication channels, revealing ongoing discussions to relaunch an Israel-Syria deconfliction cell, potentially including Turkey. He highlighted that the absence of reliable communication creates unnecessary risk, stating, "Diplomatic discourse is the best prevention to kinetic interactions." Barrack also noted that while Israel is concerned about Turkish military equipment near its border, the US views civilian infrastructure as not posing a security threat.