"Yedioth Ahronoth": Israeli strike on Abu Al-Dhaher airport draws a "red line" before Erdogan... and a message to the regime

- Washington informed Damascus that managing tensions could become easier after the Israeli elections

Ron Ben-Yishai, a military analyst for the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, suggested that the Israeli attack on northeastern Syria on the night of Monday-Tuesday aimed to achieve strategic objectives, similar to what occurred in April of last year when the Israeli military bombed T4 Airport. “A reminder to (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan of the boundaries that should not be crossed, and a clarification to (Syrian President Ahmed) al-Sharaa that he should not go too far. Since the fall of (Bashar) Assad’s regime, Ankara has been working to establish air defense systems within Syrian territory, which would restrict Israel’s freedom of action.”

In early April 2025, Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked runways and facilities at T4 Airport in Syria. It appears this was not the first time the airport had been targeted by Israel. During the years of civil war, the military airport was used not only by the Syrian Air Force but also by the Iranians, who attempted to transport advanced air defense systems to Hezbollah and Damascus through it.

Therefore, according to reports, the airport had been subjected to Israeli attacks on several occasions. However, the April 2025 attack was somewhat different. Arab and international media reported that the Israeli Air Force bombed T4’s runways because, following the fall of the Assad regime, the Turks attempted to take control of the airport and establish air defense systems and early warning and detection radar there.

Israel then decided to draw a red line before Ankara. While Turkish forces, accompanied by engineers and contractors, were en route to the airport, the Israeli Air Force bombed the runways and the airport’s surroundings, sending a message that Israel would not accept a Turkish deployment at such a strategic location. The establishment of advanced aircraft and missile surveillance and interception systems there would severely damage the Israeli Air Force’s freedom of action in Syrian airspace, and as later became clear, also in the air corridor used to attack western Iran.

These details have never been officially confirmed by Israel, but they have not been denied either.

It is highly reasonable to assume that the recent bombing, attributed to the Israeli Air Force, of the runways and facilities at Abu al-Duhur Airport was carried out for similar strategic reasons. The airport had been used by the Syrian Air Force during the Assad era, and control over it changed hands several times between opposition forces and the Syrian army during the previous regime.

Following the collapse of the Assad system and its replacement by al-Sharaa, who led the opposition forces, the Israeli Air Force struck and destroyed all aircraft belonging to the former army’s air force, along with other strategic facilities and stockpiles. Thus, Abu al-Duhur, a large airport with 22 runways spanning a vast area, remained effectively unused in the absence of a Syrian air force.

Finally, media reports indicated that Turkey is attempting to solidify its presence at the airport and deploy radar detection systems and missile and aircraft interception batteries. Looking at the map, it is clear that a Turkish presence equipped with such means at the airport constitutes, according to Yedioth Ahronoth, a significant threat not only to the Israeli Air Force’s freedom of action throughout Syria, but also in the context of the possibility of renewed conflict with Iran.

Therefore, it is highly likely that this is another instance in which Israel is drawing a red line through an aerial strike to prevent a Turkish military deployment that would restrict its freedom of action in the strategic area extending across northeastern Syria, northern Iraq (the Kurdish region), and western Iran.

Nevertheless, Israel is striving to avoid triggering a direct confrontation with the Turks. For this reason, the airstrikes were carried out at night in areas devoid of people, and certainly devoid of Turks, whether soldiers or civilians. Israel has also officially maintained silence regarding the attack itself.

Despite this silence, a senior Israeli official told Fox News that Israel shared “sensitive intelligence information” with Washington prior to the strike. He added that the information was conveyed “at the highest levels of various agencies and bodies in both countries,” and that “al-Sharaa realizes he cannot act as the previous Syrian regime did.”

In a direct extension of the official’s remarks, the message conveyed by the airport bombing is also directed at al-Sharaa, aiming to clarify that Israel will not accept Turkish control over strategic points in Syria in a manner that threatens not only its freedom of aerial operations but also other Israeli interests as well.

In fact, Turkey controls a wide area in northern Syria along the border, having established a quasi-security belt against the Kurds within sovereign Syrian territory. It is now attempting to expand its strategic deployment in Syria southward, in confrontation with Israel.

According to the Israeli newspaper, al-Sharaa permits this because the Turks were his patrons, supplying him with weapons, training, and protection when he was still with his hardline forces in the Idlib region southeast of Aleppo, before he moved to take control of Damascus. The writer argues that al-Sharaa is indebted to them, and that Israel is warning him not to go too far in this direction.

As expected, official Syrian media condemned the airstrike, asserting that Israeli aircraft bombed the airport. Turkey also strongly condemned the attack, attributing it to Israel, as did U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s envoy to Syria.

In Israel, this was not entirely surprising. The article describes Barrack, of Lebanese origin, as well-known for his strong support of Erdogan and his backing of al-Sharaa.

From the American perspective, according to the article, any Israeli attack in Syria undermines the Trump administration’s efforts to implement its policy of appeasing Erdogan and incorporating Syria into the pro-U.S. camp that the American president seeks to assemble in the Middle East.

Influenced by Erdogan, Trump decided to embrace al-Sharaa, who until recently was considered hardline. Trump’s envoy to Turkey and Syria views the Israeli Air Force’s bombing in Syria as an infringement on U.S. interests.

In this context, some senior U.S. administration officials believe the attack may have been driven, among other factors, by Israel’s upcoming elections in October, according to Axios.

U.S. officials fear that this could push Damascus toward adopting a more hardline and aggressive stance.

The Trump administration has called on Syria to exercise restraint, and according to reports, it informed officials that dealing with the tensions might become easier after the Israeli elections.