Israel’s strikes on Syria 'unnecessary escalation', US special envoy says

WASHINGTON, August 18. /TASS/. The United States believes that Israel’s airstrikes on the Abu Duhur airbase in Syria are an "unnecessary escalation" that does not contribute to stability in the region, said US president’s special envoy for Syria and Iraq, ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack.

""We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability," he wrote on X. "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 went on to say that the United States "will continue in the future, to host discussions to encourage diplomatic cadence over kinetic frustration for both nations. Enduring deescalation agreements are built through sustained dialogues with all concerned nations and principals. 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."

Earlier, the Syria TV channel, citing a source, reported that the Israeli Air Force carried out several strikes on the Abu Duhur airfield in the Idlib province in northwestern Syria. According to the source, the attacks caused material damage. No information about casualties among the civilian population was reported. According to Reuters, the attacks targeted the runway and storage facilities.