The Turkish military is deploying anti-aircraft weapons to the former Syrian Army airbases at Palmyra and Menagh—seemingly in an attempt to disrupt future Israeli attempts to strike at Iran.

Turkish plans to establish a presence and air defenses on Syrian soil would hinder Israel’s operational freedom, a situation Israel is unlikely to accept in the post-October 7 Middle East.

The air strikes hit Syria, but their real target was Turkey. Shortly afterwards, Israel's foreign minister accused Turkey of playing a "negative role" in Syria, and Israel's defence minister warned Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, that he would "pay a very heavy price" if he allowed "hostile forces" to enter his country.