News analysis
Growing confrontation between Israel and Turkey could reshape Middle East
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A satellite image of damaged runways at Abu al-Duhur airbase near Aleppo, Syria, after an Israeli attack on Aug 19.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Israel bombed Syria's Abu al-Duhur airfield as a warning against Turkish military presence, escalating tensions between Israel and Turkey.
- Turkey and Israel are now strategic rivals, competing for influence in Syria, with Turkey supporting the Syrian government.
- The US criticised Israel's actions, fearing regional instability, while the conflict is expected to continue without immediate resolution.
AI generated
LONDON – It was, by the standards of violence in the Middle East, a non-event. Early this week, Israeli jets dropped eight bombs on the Abu al-Duhur airfield in Syria. The bombs killed nobody, and that was not due to luck; it was by design.
Yet what initially seemed like just a marginal story has now acquired a momentum all of its own. Officials in the US administration are furious with Israel for mounting this airfield attack. And throughout the Middle East, analysts speculate whether this is a harbinger of a broader Israeli offensive.
