The United States is working to establish a military deconfliction mechanism between Israel, Turkey and Syria following an Israeli airstrike on a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border, U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said on Tuesday.
Barrack, who also serves as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, said Ankara had not been warned about the Israeli strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria. Turkish authorities consequently observed Israeli aircraft flying north toward its territory and could have reasonably prepared a military response, he said.
“Thankfully, calm heads were able to prevent the situation from deteriorating further,” Barrack told Reuters.
Turkey condemned the Israeli strikes but did not comment on the proposed mechanism, which would create a direct communication channel to reduce the risk of misunderstandings or accidental military confrontations.
Tensions between Israel and Turkey have intensified over Syria, where Ankara has emerged as a major ally of President Ahmed al-Sharaa and has supported the rebuilding and training of Syria’s military.
Barrack said Israel’s attack reflected a perception that Turkey might increase its military presence at the airbase, although he said that assessment could be accurate or misplaced.
“This underscores the need for a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Syria and Türkiye,” Barrack said, adding that Washington was actively working to establish one.
The Abu al-Duhur base, about 70 km (43.5 miles) from the Turkish border, has not operated as a dedicated military airfield since 2013. Syrian state television reported that Israel carried out eight strikes targeting the runway and storage facilities. A Syrian military source and a nearby resident said there were no casualties.
Israel did not comment on the strikes.
Israel has repeatedly conducted military operations in Syria, previously citing efforts to limit Iranian influence and prevent weapons transfers to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Since the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad in 2024, Israel has also expressed concerns about Syria’s new leadership and continued strikes against Syrian military targets.
Barrack said Syria and Israel have held several rounds of discussions aimed at reducing tensions since Assad’s removal, but have yet to reach an agreement.
The U.S. already facilitates information-sharing and dialogue between the parties, he said, but a stronger system with additional resources is needed to prevent future incidents.
“Investing in such mechanisms is far less costly than relying on kinetic means of communication,” Barrack said, referring to military action.
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