The Trump administration is publicly criticizing Israel after the longtime U.S. ally carried out airstrikes against a Syrian military base, warning that the operation risks escalating tensions in an already volatile region.
US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said Washington was “deeply concerned” by Israel’s strikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase in Syria and urged the countries involved to pursue diplomacy rather than additional military action.
Barrack argued that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has taken a different approach toward Israel than the regime of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
According to the ambassador, al-Sharaa has not “adopted a predatory posture nor maintained proxy forces” and has “repeatedly indicated a preference for de-escalation with Israel.”
The US therefore “continues to believe that restraint and engagement offer the more constructive course,” Barrack said, calling on the parties involved “to prioritize logical discourse over further military incidents.”
Israel, however, disputed any suggestion that the Trump administration had been caught off guard by the operation.
A senior Israeli official told Fox News that “highly sensitive intelligence was shared with the United States in advance” of the strike.
The official also suggested al-Sharaa may not have been fully aware of activities occurring at the Syrian military facility.
“Al-Sharaa understands that he cannot operate like the previous Syrian regime, which maintained proxy forces. It’s possible that he didn’t understand what was going on, or didn’t know,” the official said.
The disagreement highlights a rare public split between the Trump administration and Israel as President Donald Trump attempts to prevent another major escalation in the Middle East.
Al-Sharaa became Syria’s leader in January 2025 following the overthrow of Assad by rebel forces.
His rise created an unusual relationship with Washington due to his previous leadership of an Al Qaeda-affiliated organization in Syria. Despite that history, Trump has backed efforts to give Syria’s new government an opportunity to stabilize the country and establish new relationships in the region.
The Trump administration took a significant step toward that goal in June when it lifted broad US economic sanctions against Syria, seeking to encourage reconstruction and regional cooperation, per Trending Politics.
Israel’s latest military action therefore presents another challenge for the administration as it attempts to balance its support for Israel with its broader push to prevent additional conflicts.
The disagreement also comes as tensions throughout the Middle East remain elevated, particularly surrounding Iran and its regional activities.
Israel has repeatedly maintained that it will take military action when officials believe the country faces a security threat, regardless of broader diplomatic considerations.
Washington, meanwhile, is signaling that it does not believe every Israeli military operation necessarily serves the US goal of preventing further regional escalation.
For now, the Trump administration is publicly calling for restraint and diplomacy, while Israeli officials maintain that intelligence surrounding Abu al-Duhur Airbase was serious enough to warrant military action.
Despite the disagreement, the source does not indicate any broader rupture in US-Israel relations. The dispute instead centers on whether the strike was necessary and whether military action or diplomatic engagement represents the better approach toward Syria’s new government.
