West Asia war LIVE: Turkiye rejects Israeli claims after strike on Syria air base

Home News World Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo, said Benjamin Netanyahu Updated - August 19, 2026 07:17 am IST Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. FIle | Photo Credit: AP Turkiye rejected on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) Israeli allegations that it posed a threat by preparing to send troops to a base in Syria, which was hit in a strike that the United States blamed on Israel.Also read | Why is the Strait of Hormuz critical to global energy flows? | ExplainedThe strike marked extraordinary defiance by Israel of the United States, which has sought to support Syria’s new government led by a former jihadist allied with Turkiye.“Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement after a day of official silence by Israel.Also read | UAE accuses Iran of firing two ballistic missiles at its territory“Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings,” said the statement, which stopped short of acknowledging Israeli responsibility.Follow for LIVE updates:August 19, 2026 07:17 Iraq approves three-month mechanism to export crude via local, international firmsIraq’s cabinet approved mechanisms for exporting Iraqi crude through specialized international and local ‌companies and via multiple export outlets, the government said yesterday.The contracts under the new mechanism will run for three months starting September ‌1, according to a statement issued after the cabinet meeting.Iraq ‌is seeking to diversify ‌its ⁠oil export channels and maintain ⁠flexibility in marketing its crude amid the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of ‌Hormuz, which has disrupted regional oil flows and created uncertainty around shipping routes.- ReutersAugust 19, 2026 07:15 Turkiye rejects Israeli claims after strike on Syria air baseTurkiye today rejected Israeli allegations that it posed a threat by preparing to send troops to a base in Syria, which was hit in a strike that the United States blamed on Israel.The strike marked extraordinary defiance by Israel of the United States, which has sought to support Syria’s new government led by a former jihadist allied with Turkiye.- AFPAugust 19, 2026 07:14 Israel blames Turkiye after strike on Syria air base“Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement after a day of official silence by Israel.“Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings,” said the statement, which stopped short of acknowledging Israeli responsibility.- AFPAugust 19, 2026 07:13 Israel strikes air base in northwest Syria to prevent Turkish troops from deployingIsrael struck an air base in northwest Syria early yesterday, saying it aimed to prevent Turkish troops from deploying there.Turkey, which has close ties with the Syrian government and has been providing assistance to Syria’s military, has tense relations with Israel. The rival countries have sought to curb each other’s influence in neighboring Syria.Eight strikes hit the runway of the Abu Duhur air base in the northwestern province of Idlib, causing damage but no casualties, state TV said. Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told reporters in Damascus that Syria condemns the “Israeli aggression,” adding that the strikes were “an unjustified provocation, a violation of Syria’s sovereignty, and a direct threat to regional and global stability.”-AP Published - August 19, 2026 07:11 am IST