U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Ambassador Tom Barrack, who also serves as Washington’s envoy in Türkiye, will remain involved in Syria and Iraq policy despite his title as special envoy to Syria expiring.
“Ambassador Tom Barrack has played an invaluable role as our Special Envoy to Syria,” Rubio wrote X.
Saying that Barrack’s expertise and relationships in the region would continue to serve the administration’s goals, Rubio noted that “he will continue to play a leading role for the Trump Administration in both
Syria and Iraq, where his expertise, relationships, and understanding of the America First agenda will continue to deliver wins on behalf of our great country.”
“He will continue to play a vital role, not only as our Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye, but also as we advance the President’s [Donald Trump] strategic cooperation with the government in Syria and begin our work with the new government in Iraq,” Rubio also said.
Barrack was appointed as the special envoy for Syria by Trump in May 2025. Throughout his tenure, Barrack played a pivotal role in major developments in Syria, particularly in fostering relations between
Washington and Damascus in the post-Assad era, as well as integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces into the central government.
Following his latest meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa , Barrack stated, ‘Syria is now a laboratory for a new regional alignment of diplomacy, integration and hope for the entire region.’”
