The director of Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, held a telephone conversation with Syria's foreign minister last week to discuss the deployment of Turkish military forces within Syria. According to three people familiar with the matter, Mossad chief Roman Gofman spoke with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on August 14. The discussion occurred four days before Israel conducted an airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria on Tuesday.
The contact represents one of the highest-level interactions between Israel and the Syrian administration led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa since the 2024 removal of Bashar al-Assad. Sources stated that the dialogue focused on Israeli inquiries regarding Turkey's increasing military presence, its sale of weapons, and the provision of drones to the Syrian army. While the Israeli prime minister’s office and Shaibani’s spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment, the Turkish presidency rejected Israel’s claims, describing them as attempts to legitimize "unlawful airstrikes."
Following the Tuesday strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Damascus was close to allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase. Netanyahu said Syria had ignored warnings that such a move would threaten Israeli security, adding that Israel "will not tolerate a Turkish military establishment in Syria." Turkey, which supported rebels during the Syrian civil war, has become a close ally of the Sharaa administration, though Sharaa stated in July that he is seeking a security agreement with Israel through international mediation.
The situation directly impacts the Sharaa administration’s efforts to stabilize Syria following the 2024 transition of power. If military tensions between Israel and Turkey escalate on Syrian soil, it could disrupt the "peace, stability, and prosperity" that the Turkish presidency claims to be fostering through its cooperation with Damascus. U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack characterized the recent Israeli strikes as an "unnecessary escalation," noting that regional stability is at stake. For those living in the region, such escalations often manifest as sudden military strikes on infrastructure, which can disrupt local security and international diplomatic efforts.
The U.S. government is currently attempting to manage these tensions by establishing a deconfliction mechanism—a formal communication system designed to prevent accidental military clashes—between Israel, Turkey, and Syria. Ambassador Barrack confirmed that Washington already facilitates an information-sharing and dialogue mechanism among the three parties. The outcome of these efforts will determine whether the new Syrian administration can successfully navigate a security agreement with Israel while maintaining its alliance with Turkey. The next steps involve ongoing U.S. mediation, though no specific dates for formal meetings or new policy implementations were reported.