Trump envoy 'deeply concerned' by Israeli strikes on Syrian air base

Trump envoy 'deeply concerned' by Israeli strikes on Syrian air base Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 08/18/2026 - 18:11 In rare pushback against Israel, Tom Barrack said Syria did nothing to provoke the attack US special envoy for Syria and US ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack speaks onstage during the 5th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey, on 17 April 2026 (Antalya Diplomacy Forum handout via AFP) Off US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack defended the Syrian government on Tuesday after Israeli air strikes targeted the Abu al-Duhur military air base in northern Syria, calling it an "unnecessary escalation". "The Al-Sharaa government has neither adopted a predatory posture nor maintained proxy forces. It has, in fact, repeatedly indicated a preference for de-escalation with Israel," he wrote on X.