Mossad Chief Meets Syrian Foreign Minister Amid Rising Tensions After Israeli Airstrike

In a rare diplomatic engagement, Mossad Chief Ronen Gofman met with Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Shibani, a close associate of Ahmad al-Sharaa, following an unusual Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur Syrian Air Force base. The meeting, confirmed by two informed sources, aimed to ease tensions between Israel and Syria and was described as positive by an insider.

The talks took place just days after the early morning Israeli strike, which heightened regional tensions among three key U.S. allies in the Middle East during a period when the Trump administration is striving to prevent further escalation. According to a senior American official, Israel informed Washington’s political echelon that it possesses intelligence indicating Turkey’s intention to deploy weapons systems at the Syrian base. Despite initial criticism from U.S. envoy Tom Brake and frustration within the White House over Prime Minister Netanyahu’s policies, U.S. officials regard the Israeli intelligence as credible.

Syrian Foreign Minister Shibani denied any cooperation with Turkey to establish a military presence at the targeted base. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump acknowledged receiving a briefing on the strike but refrained from commenting or criticizing the operation, stating, "I cannot talk about it," and did not clarify whether the briefing occurred before or after the attack.