U.S. pushes for deconfliction channel between Israel, Turkey and Syria after airstrike
U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack said Washington is working on a deconfliction mechanism linking Israel, Turkey and Syria following an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border.
Following an Israeli attack on the Abu al-Dahur airbase in northwestern Syria, U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Washington is working to create a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Turkey and Syria. Barrack explained that Turkey received no prior warning, observed the aircraft heading north, and could have prepared its own response, yet diplomatic restraint averted further tension. Turkey condemned the strike but offered no comment on the proposed channel.
The airbase, about 70 km east of the Turkish border, has been out of service since 2013 and changed hands during the 14-year civil war. Syrian state TV reported eight Israeli hits on the runway and storage facilities, with local sources saying no one was injured. The United States already facilitates a basic dialogue among the three parties and seeks a more robust, better-resourced system, arguing it is cheaper than resorting to kinetic force.
Why it matters
A deconfliction channel could prevent accidental clashes among Israel, Turkey and Syria, reducing regional instability.
How this story developed
- Aug 15 Israeli air strike destroys house in southern Lebanon, killing seven
- Aug 16 Death toll rose to 11 after a second strike in Deir al‑Zahrani killed four people.
- Aug 18 Eight Israeli missiles hit the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria, damaging the runway and storage areas, but no one was injured.
- Aug 18 U.S. General Michael Clearfield met Lebanon’s defence minister to discuss the recent escalation.
- Aug 18 Israeli officials have not responded to inquiries about the strike.
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