U.S. envoy to Syria condemns Israeli strikes on country

The Syrian Civil War came to a swift conclusion early last year, when rebel forces under the control of Ahmed Al-Sharaa stormed out of the northwestern Idlib province and took Damascus in a swift offensive.

Published: August 18, 2026 11:02am

U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack on Tuesday condemned Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian airbase as an "unnecessary escalation" of the Middle East conflict.

"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 posted on X. "The Al-Sharra [sic] government has neither adopted a predatory posture nor maintained proxy forces. It has, in fact, repeatedly indicated a preference for de-escalation with Israel."

The Syrian Civil War came to a swift conclusion early last year, when rebel forces under the control of Ahmed Al-Sharaa stormed out of the northwestern Idlib province and took Damascus in a swift offensive.

The Al-Sharaa government has since moved to consolidate the country's territory, including by liquidating the Kurdish government in the northeast.

Al-Sharaa has also worked to establish stable relations with western nations and to end international sanctions on the country.

Barrack's condemnation of the strike comes as the U.S. and Israeli increasingly appear to be at loggerheads over a resolution to the ongoing conflicts in the region.

The Israeli government, for instance, recently rejected the Trump administration's 15-point Gaza peace plan.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.

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