Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Türkiye, would also serve as special presidential envoy to both Syria and Iraq, Anadolu Agency reported citing US President Donald Trump.
Trump said Washington deepens its strategic engagement with Syria and Iraq. "Our relationship with them continues to grow," he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
"Tom will remain Ambassador to Türkiye, and operate with the full backing of the United States Department of State," Trump said, praising Barrack's performance and expressing appreciation for his "continued willingness" to serve.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday Barrack will maintain a central diplomatic role managing policy for Syria and Iraq following the expiration of his formal mandate as special envoy to Syria. He later said on Saturday said that Barrack will remain “a central interlocutor on Syria, and key trusted hand on Iraq.”
Syria is undergoing a post-Assad transition following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in late 2024, while Iraq continues to navigate complex relations with both Washington amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
Barrack, a billionaire real estate investor and longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, has served as the administration’s primary envoy to Syria since May 2025, while concurrently serving as the US ambassador to Turkiye. The private equity mogul raised substantial capital from Emirati sovereign funds. While acquitted in 2022 of federal charges that he acted as an unregistered agent for Abu Dhabi, his connections routinely led to questions about Gulf financial influence over US policy.
Barrack’s tenure in Syria also drew significant scrutiny. His mediation of a ceasefire and integration pact between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) drew sharp criticism from the Kurdish leadership, who accused Washington of abandoning its longtime allies to favour central state authority.
He also prompted intense backlash in Lebanon after warning journalists at a chaotic news conference to act “civilised” rather than “animalistic”.
His public assertions that “benevolent monarchy” and authoritarian governance are better suited for the Middle East than democracy caused controversy, while opposition leaders in Turkiye, where he remains ambassador, routinely criticised him for behaving like a “colonial governor”.
State Department officials have not yet announced a successor for the Syria envoy position.
