Washington: We did not support Israel’s latest Syria airstrikes

The United States did not back Israel’s recent airstrikes in Syria and expressed clear displeasure over the escalation, the State Department confirmed on July 17.

Washington also moved swiftly to help de-escalate the situation and restore calm, according to officials, quoted by Reuters.

The strikes, which took place on July 16, targeted sites in the Syrian capital Damascus and also hit Syrian government forces in the country’s south. Israel justified the attacks by claiming they were necessary to protect Syria’s Druze minority, a small but regionally influential community with populations in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Tel Aviv also demanded the withdrawal of Syrian forces from certain areas.

“Regarding Israel's intervention and activity ... the United States did not support recent Israeli strikes,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a press briefing.

She emphasised that Washington was in active contact with both Israeli and Syrian officials to contain the situation and work toward a broader resolution. “We are engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states,” Bruce said.

When asked whether the US supports Israel’s right to conduct such military operations when it sees fit, Bruce declined to elaborate. “I won't speak to future conversations or past ones. What we're dealing with now is this particular episode, what was required, and I think we've been very clear about our displeasure — certainly that the President has — and we've worked very quickly to have it stopped,” she stated.

Bruce also reiterated the United States' position on violence in Syria, saying Washington continues to condemn it in all forms. She added that the US remains in dialogue with all stakeholders within Syria to encourage de-escalation, promote integration, and urged the Syrian government to take the lead in efforts toward stability.