The US has called on Israel and Syria to pursue de-escalation following Israeli air strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria on August 18.
Addressing the UN Security Council, US Deputy Representative Tammy Bruce said on Thursday that Washington would continue engaging with Israel, Syria and other regional stakeholders to promote dialogue and peaceful solutions.
“The United States will continue to engage closely with both countries and with all regional stakeholders to promote dialogue and peaceful solutions,” Bruce said.
On August 18, Israel carried out eight strikes on the runway of the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in northwestern Idlib province, causing damage to its infrastructure.
Israeli attacks in Syria have intensified since the fall of Assad’s regime in December 2024, when Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement and seized control of the Syrian buffer zone.
Bruce said the US had rescinded its designation of Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism on August 24, describing the decision as a “historic milestone” that recognises continued progress by Syrian authorities on political, humanitarian and security priorities.
She added that lifting US restrictions on Syria would help unlock international trade and investment opportunities and contribute to the country’s reconstruction.
Last week, Türkiye and several other countries strongly condemned Israeli air strikes, calling the attacks an "extreme escalation" and a violation of the country's sovereignty.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Algeria, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Somalia said the strikes constituted "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political unity" of Syria.
