Israel Bombs Syrian Capital Despite U.S. Pressure to "Stand Down"

 

Israel Bombs Syrian Capital Despite U.S. Pressure to "Stand Down"

The Trump administration has asked Israel to halt its strikes on Syrian government targets and to open direct talks with Damascus, a senior U.S. official told Axios on Wednesday.

Why it matters: U.S. officials are highly concerned that the Israeli attacks — including on Syrian military headquarters in Damascus and near the presidential palace — could destabilize the new Syrian government. The official said the past 48 hours could seriously undermine progress toward a new security agreement between Israel and Syria as a first step toward normalization. Those discussions had previously been showing significant progress, the official said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. was "very concerned" about the Israeli strikes in Syria and wants the fighting to stop.

Behind the scenes: U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack conducted several calls on Tuesday and Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top adviser Ron Dermer to push for deescalation. "We told the Israelis to stand down and take a breath," the senior U.S. official said, adding that the administration is pushing for direct talks between Israel and Syria to solve the crisis. – Axios

Our Take: Netanyahu just announced that Israel will invade and occupy southern Syria.

I've been speculating that this move was coming for months, and not just because they want to establish "Greater Israel," though that is likely a big factor. I think this is also about a ground war with Iran.