Tom Barrack

Iraq closes southern border crossing with Iran amid US pressure on Baghdad

Iraq is in the spotlight because Iran continues to pressure Iraq to expel Kurdish Iranian opposition groups. The US is pressuring Iraq to rein in Iranian-backed militias.

Iraqi security forces stand at the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran after Iraq closed the crossing following airstrikes on the Iranian side that security sources said killed an Iraqi citizen, Iraq, April 4, 2026.
S Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack accompanies US President Donald Trump (not seen) during a press conference following the annual NATO Summit at Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on July 8, 2026; illustrative

What does Tom Barrack's warning on Saudi Arabia reveal about US Middle East policy? - analysis

FILE PHOTO: US Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack speaks to members of media at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, September 24, 2026.

Trump envoy kept financial ties to firm behind $15 billion Hormuz-bypass oil pipeline plan

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets US Special Envoy Tom Barrack in Damascus, Syria, December 1, 2025.

Syria deepens diplomatic ties with US as it weighs role in Saudi conflict with Houthis - analysis


Israel's Syria strike risked scrambling Turkish jets, military escalation, US envoy tells 'Post'

US envoy Tom Barrack warned that Israel's strike on Abu al-Duhur airbase, near Idlib, Syria, could have led to a rapid escalation into a direct military confrontation, possibly including Turkey.

US Special Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack speaks during a session at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey, April 17, 2026.

US working to establish Israel-Turkey-Syria deconfliction mechanism after Israeli strikes

Turkey condemned Israel's strikes on the Abu al-Dahur airbase in northwestern Syria but did not comment further, including about a potential deconfliction mechanism.

 US special envoy for Syria, the ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack attends a flag-raising ceremony at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus on May 29, 2025 for the first time since 2011.

Israel confirms strikes on Syria's Idlib airbase after US envoy condemns attack

A source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post that Israel recently provided the US with intelligence on attempts by Syria to build up its military capabilities.

Abu al-Duhur base is seen following reported Israeli strikes, Syria, August 18, 2026

US envoy Barrack meets Iraq PM, pushes new direction in bilateral ties

US envoy Tom Barrack met Iraq’s leadership in Baghdad, discussing security, militias, and economic cooperation as Washington pushes a “new direction” in bilateral ties.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with US Special Presidential Envoy Tom Barrack in Baghdad, Iraq, June 16, 2026.

The illusion of change in Iraq: Baghdad's militia shake-up masks a deeper Iranian strategy

BEHIND THE LINES: The decision by Zaidan’s allies to integrate their armed elements into state security forces represents an effort by a pro-Iranian element to consolidate its power.

Qais al-Khazali, head of the Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia in Iraq, speaks during a rally last year in Baghdad to present the Sadiqoon Movement ahead of parliamentary elections.

Trump consolidates Middle East policy by appointing Special Envoy Barrack to Iraq, Syria - analysis

US Envoy Tom Barrack has played a key role in US policy in the Middle East over the past year. He was appointed Special Envoy to Syria last year. He is also the US Ambassador to Turkey.

 US ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack attends a meeting with US President Donald Trump and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office at the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington.

Trump, Sharaa hold phone call, discuss lifting sanctions, importance of 'prioritizing diplomacy'

During the call, Sharaa said lifting the remaining US sanctions on Syria was an essential step toward reviving the Syrian economy and attracting investment, the statement said.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York, US, September 24, 2025.

Turkey eyes post-Iran Middle East as regional order shifts - analysis

It’s not clear whether Ankara is posing as a neutral power or seeking to portray itself as similar to most European and NATO powers that also remained outside the war.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, meets with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Ankara, last April. Ankara is quietly assembling the architecture of permanent regional power, the writer says.

Tom Barrack leaves Syria envoy role after steering post-Assad outreach

A Lebanese-American real estate billionaire and longtime ally of US President Donald Trump, Barrack chaired Trump’s 2017 inauguration committee before taking on diplomatic responsibilities. 

US SPECIAL ENVOY for Syria Tom Barrack speaks at a news conference in Damascus in September 2025.

Kurdish-US partnership under strain amid regional rivalries, accusations - opinion

Kurdish leaders warn of rising mistrust with Washington amid accusations, regional rivalries, and fears of shifting US alliances in the Middle East.

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.