Israel Knew There Was No Turkish Buildup at Syrian Airbase, It Attacked Regardless

Israel bombed Syria's Abu Al-Duhur airbase despite Damascus having told Israeli officials beforehand that the site was not being prepared for a permanent Turkish military presence, according to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani.

Al-Shaibani said Syrian officials had explained the work under way at the northern airbase in the days before the strike and made clear that it would remain under Syrian control.

There was "no intention to establish a Turkish base there, nor to establish a permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish forces at the site," he told Axios.

Strike Followed Direct Assurances

Israel dropped at least eight bombs on runways and hangars at Abu Al-Duhur early Tuesday, damaging infrastructure that had recently been rebuilt. No casualties were reported.

The airbase lies about 45 miles from the Turkish border.

U.S. and Israeli officials said Israel told the Trump administration that the operation was intended to prevent a Turkish military buildup at the facility.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had warned Syria against allowing a Turkish presence there.

"Our message was very clear: Don't. I guess they didn't quite understand the message," Netanyahu said in a video posted on X.

Al-Shaibani disputed that account, arguing that Israel had been given a clear explanation of both the construction work and Syria's plans for the site before the bombing.

"The nature of the activity at the base was known, and there was no basis for interpreting the rehabilitation work as the establishment of a Turkish military site on Syrian territory," he wrote.

Damascus Rejects Israeli Rationale

According to Al-Shaibani, work at Abu Al-Duhur was confined to restoring facilities damaged during the war so the base could eventually be used by the Syrian Air Force.

The facility remained largely empty and was neither fully rehabilitated nor operational when Israel attacked, he said.

He acknowledged that Turkish military officers had visited several days before the bombing but said their presence formed part of broader military cooperation involving training and exchanges of expertise.

Damascus has similar forms of cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and Russia, he added.

Al-Shaibani said the Turkish visit therefore did not amount to a military deployment or plans for a permanent base.

"There was no Turkish military build-up at the base in any sense that would justify such an interpretation," he wrote.

Syria and Israel Were In Contact

Damascus and Israel had been communicating in the days leading up to the attack, according to the foreign minister.

Syrian officials told their Israeli counterparts what was being built and emphasized that Abu Al-Duhur was Syrian territory that would remain under Syrian sovereignty and control.

Al-Shaibani also said he had communicated with the Trump administration before and after the bombing in an effort to prevent a broader escalation.

President Donald Trump told Axios on Wednesday that he had been briefed on the Israeli strike but declined to discuss it or say whether the briefing occurred before or after the operation.

Following the attack, Damascus contacted Washington and other governments to protest the strike and seek to prevent further attacks, Al-Shaibani said.

Mossad Was Informed As Well

The head of Israel's spy agency also held a phone call with Syria's foreign minister last week during which they discussed Türkiye’s military presence in Syria, three sources told Reuters.

The August 14 call between Mossad spy agency chief Roman Gofman and al-Shaibani is one of the highest-level contacts yet between Israel and the Damascus administration led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The sources said the issue of Turkish military support for Syria dominated Gofman's call with al-Shaibani.

The call centered on "Israeli inquiries about what (Türkiye) was doing in terms of increasing their military presence, as well as the sale of weapons, provision of drones and other issues", one of the sources said.

A second source, a senior official, said Gofman used the call to ask about Türkiye’s provision of arms to Syria's army.

A third source familiar with the matter confirmed the call took place, saying that they discussed Türkiye’s military presence in Syria.

Security Talks Remain Open

The bombing comes as Syria says it remains willing to pursue an agreement with Israel aimed at reducing tensions along their border.

Al-Shaibani said a year of negotiations mediated by the Trump administration had produced substantial progress and a written formula for a security agreement, but that Israel later withdrew from commitments and the arrangement was not implemented.

He said Damascus had taken a significant number of Israeli security concerns into consideration during those talks but expected Syrian concerns to be addressed in return.

Syria remained open to renewed negotiations, he added, while arguing that further Israeli military operations would make de-escalation more difficult.