US Envoy Criticizes Israel for Syria Airstrike, Claims Turkey Nearly Retaliated

Tom Barrett, the US envoy to Syria and Lebanon, has once again criticized Israel following its recent airstrike in Syria. Barrett argued that Israel should have warned Turkey before the attack, suggesting that Ankara could have launched a counterattack against Israeli aircraft. This statement is notable given that Turkey and Israel do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, making such a warning highly unrealistic. Additionally, a senior Israeli official told Fox News that top US figures were aware of the strike but chose not to inform Turkey's government under President Erdogan.

Earlier, Barrett condemned the Israeli operation as "very concerning." The airstrike targeted a Syrian Air Force base in the Tartus region near the Mediterranean coast, focusing on runways and storage facilities, according to Arab media reports. Following the attack, Syrian officials confirmed possession of nuclear material. Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Al-Shaibani stated at a press conference with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, that Syria holds nuclear material intended for "energy and peaceful purposes."