US envoy says Israeli strike in Syria aimed to provoke Turkey

In late August 2026, a US envoy said that an Israeli air strike on a Syrian air base near the Turkish border was intended to provoke Turkey ahead of elections. The envoy also said Israel did not give the US a warning before the strike, and that US intelligence behind the attack was wrong. Israel rejected the US criticism, calling it "full of inaccuracies."

Separately, Turkey requested an Interpol Red Notice for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Netanyahu reacted angrily to Turkish President Erdogan. US envoy Tom Barrack is reportedly caught between Israel and allies of Donald Trump over Syria policy.