US envoy hints Israel’s Syria strike may be pre-election bait to Turkey
A senior US diplomat, Tom Barrack, suggested Israel’s airstrike on a Syrian air base could be a calculated move to bait Turkey into a conflict ahead of Israel’s October elections, while noting there were no Turkish assets at the site; Israel’s defense minister disputed Barrack’s characterization, asserting intelligence supported taking action against potential Turkish operations, and Washington’s comments underscore fraught Turkey-Israel-Syria dynamics and the risk of broader escalation.