US working on deconfliction mechanism among Turkey, Israel and Syria, US envoy says
The U.S. is attempting to establish a deconfliction mechanism between Israel, Turkey, and Syria following recent Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian airbase. The move aims to prevent accidental military escalation in a region where tensions between these nations are rising.
Why it matters
Establishing communication channels between regional powers is vital to preventing broader military conflict in the Middle East.
Abu al-Duhur airbase following strikes, Syria, August 18, 2026. Eight Israeli airstrikes hit an airbase in northwestern Syria early on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, in what the U.S. envoy for the region called an "unnecessary escalation." The Israeli military declined to comment on the strikes while the Syrian defense ministry did not respond. REUTERS/Stringer — Stringer By Timour Azhari
GENEVA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The United States is working to establish a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Turkey and Syria, U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said on Tuesday after Israel struck a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border.
Barrack, who is also U.S. ambassador to Turkey, said Turkey had not been warned about the Israeli strikes, "and consequently observed the aircraft heading north toward its territory and therefore could have reasonablyprepared its own response," referring to possible Turkish military reaction.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in