FLASH
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The United States informed Turkey of Israel's plans to attack Iran last Friday, hours before the attacks, according to sources cited by Middle East Eye.
According to the media, the briefing was conducted in order to prevent possible tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv, which have recently had disagreements over Syria due to Ankara's increased presence in the country.
It is estimated that Israeli aircraft have used Syrian and Iraqi airspace to strike targets in Iran.
Since December, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has destroyed every air defense system in Syria, leaving the country effectively defenseless, writes Middle East Eye, which notes that it was unable to verify the information with either the Turkish Foreign Ministry or the US State Department, which it asked for comment.
In fact, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry complained to the UN Security Council about the use of airspace by Israeli aircraft to attack Iran.
Reuters news agency reported that the Foreign Ministry sent a diplomatic note to several regional allies in the Middle East, including Qatar, informing them of the imminent Israeli attacks on Iran.
Tensions between Turkey and Israel have escalated, as Ankara and Damascus have begun talks to establish several military bases in Syria, with the aim of training the country's disbanded army.
Israel fears it will deploy S-400 system in Syria
Along with Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, Turkey aims to help Damascus eliminate remaining Islamic State (ISIS) groups and take control of the Tiyas air base, also known as T4, in eastern Syria.
One of Israel's main concerns is the possibility of Turkey taking control of Syrian airspace and potentially deploying Russian-made S-400 air defense systems there.
An Israeli official told Middle East Eye last month that Israel did not want Ankara to closely monitor Israeli air movements, especially in the event of an attack on Iran.
However, a Turkish source said Ankara is unlikely to deploy the S-400 in Syria, as Washington opposes the plan. Instead, Turkey is expected to deploy air defense systems that target immediate threats, such as drones and low-altitude attacks.
Since Israel launched its attack on Iran, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held several phone calls with regional leaders, including the presidents of the Islamic Republic, the United States and Russia, supporting diplomacy as the only way to resolve the dispute.
Last weekend, Erdogan told US President Donald Trump that negotiations over Iran's nuclear program were the only peaceful solution to end the conflict and offered Turkey as a mediator for peace.
According to sources in Ankara, the Turkish Air Force was put on high alert, while the government convened a series of security meetings to study possible emergency scenarios and risks of spread following the start of the Israeli military campaign.
In a phone call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa over the weekend, Erdogan advised Syria not to get involved in the escalation between Iran and Israel and to remain vigilant for further dangers and attacks from terrorist groups.
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