Tom Barrack, the United States ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria, says Israel gave Washington no warning before striking the Abu Duhur military base in northern Syria this week. Israeli officials dispute that account, saying intelligence was shared with authorised US parties before Tuesday’s attack.
Barrack described the strikes as an “unnecessary escalation” and said they may have been intended to “bait” Turkiye, which has substantial influence in Syria. Israel says it acted over concerns that Turkiye was preparing to deploy troops to the base, an allegation Ankara denies.
What the two sides say about the warning
In an interview on Friday, Barrack said Israel offered no warning before the attacks. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz rejected that claim in a social media post on Saturday, saying Israel had shared “intelligence information to the authorised parties in the United States” before the strike.
Katz called Barrack’s comments inaccurate and said they contradicted the position of US President Donald Trump, including on Israel’s military occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights. Barrack has described the territory as occupied, while Trump’s first administration recognised Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights in 2019.
Why Abu Duhur became the focus
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were intended to address concerns that Turkiye was preparing to deploy troops to Abu Duhur despite Israeli warnings. Turkiye has denied that it planned such a deployment.
Barrack said the United States had concluded that the purported military activity at the base was not taking place. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Syria had told Israel there were no plans for a Turkish military base there, adding that Turkish officers had visited for training and the exchange of expertise.
A wider dispute over Syria’s security
Israel has increased its strikes in Syria and occupied parts of the country’s south since the ouster of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The source material says Israeli forces have also expelled Syrians from homes in southwestern Syria and established military infrastructure there.
Turkiye has called the strikes reckless, while Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said his government does not seek conflict with Israel. The United States has tried to broker talks between Israel and Syria, but the Trump administration has not taken firm measures to pressure Israel to end its military campaigns and has continued a policy of near-unconditional support for Israel.
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