Axios: US officials suspect Israel’s Syria strike was election-driven

Some senior US officials believe Israel’s recent strike on a Syrian airbase was motivated in part by Israel’s October election, amid growing tensions between Israel, Türkiye and the Syrian government, Axios reports.

The strike, which Israel later acknowledged, targeted the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria, roughly 45 miles from the Turkish border. At least eight bombs struck the facility’s runways and several hangars early on August 18, damaging recently rebuilt runways but causing no casualties.

Israel told the Trump administration that the operation was intended to deter Türkiye from sending sophisticated weapons systems to the airbase and prevent a broader Turkish military buildup there, US and Israeli officials said.

The Israeli government had notified White House officials in advance of the strike, according to the officials. Around three hours before the attack, US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, although it remains unclear whether the airbase issue was discussed.

The strike has heightened tensions among three US partners at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to prevent further escalation in the region.

The Trump administration views its engagement with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government as a foreign policy achievement, while Trump has maintained close relations with Erdoğan. Israel remains a key US ally, although Trump’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become more strained in recent months.

The Israeli operation also frustrated White House and senior US officials, highlighting the administration’s reluctance to establish clear limits on Netanyahu’s government.

Israel initially did not acknowledge responsibility for the attack, and an Israeli military censor imposed a gag order on reports confirming that the Israel Defense Forces had carried out the strike.

US Ambassador to Türkiye and Syria envoy Tom Barrack subsequently disclosed on X that Israel was responsible, saying the Trump administration was “deeply concerned” and describing the operation as “an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.”

The Syrian and Turkish governments also condemned the strike.

About 20 hours after the attack, Netanyahu’s office formally claimed responsibility, saying Syria “was on the verge of breaching” an agreement with Israel to maintain the security status quo “by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.”

“Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel's security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings. Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo,” Netanyahu’s office said.

However, a source familiar with the matter said the Syrian government had been aware of Israel’s concerns about the airbase and had sent messages explaining why it was rebuilding the runway while emphasizing that it had no hostile intentions.

A Turkish official rejected Israel’s justification for the strike.

“There was no Turkish presence at the airbase. Israel is inventing pretexts to bomb neighboring countries and destabilize the region,” the official said.

US officials said the Syrian government had not taken hostile steps against Israel and had spent months seeking a new security arrangement to reduce tensions along the border.

According to one US official, Damascus had spent weeks pressing to implement an agreement with the United States and Israel to establish a joint coordination centre in Jordan to manage incidents and prevent escalation.

The official said the proposed mechanism was part of the same agreement under which the two sides had committed to “freezing military activities.” However, Israel refused to operationalize the coordination centre and instead increased Israeli military incursions into southern Syria, the official said.

“At a certain point, the Syrian government started changing its attitude and thinking it needs to defend itself against Israeli aggression,” a second US official said.

The Trump administration subsequently urged the Syrian government to exercise restraint, telling Damascus that addressing the issue would be easier after Israel’s October election, according to US officials.

By Vafa Guliyeva