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U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that Ambassador Tom Barrack will serve as special presidential envoy to both Syria and Iraq while continuing in his role as U.S. ambassador to Türkiye.
“I am pleased to announce that United States Ambassador to Türkiye, Tom Barrack, who has done an outstanding job, will be named Special Presidential Envoy to Syria and, likewise, Special Presidential Envoy to Iraq, as we advance our strategic cooperation with the Governments of Syria and Iraq, our relationship with them continues to grow!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Tom will remain Ambassador to Türkiye and operate with the full backing of the United States Department of State. We greatly appreciate the work that Tom Barrack has done and his continued willingness to serve our Country,” he added.
Earlier Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Barrack would remain “a central interlocutor on Syria and key trusted hand on Iraq.”
“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 wrote on X.
“He is an indispensable member of the President's team, carries my full confidence, and operates with the full backing of the State Department. The American people are well served by his continued willingness to lead this work,” Rubio added.
On Friday, Rubio had indicated that Barrack would continue to play a leading role in both Syria and Iraq following the expiration of his formal mandate as special envoy to Syria.
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“Ambassador Tom Barrack has played an invaluable role as our Special Envoy to Syria,” Rubio wrote on X, adding that “he will continue to play a leading role for the Trump Administration in both Syria and Iraq.”
Barrack first assumed the role of special envoy to Syria in May 2025. He took up the position while retaining his post as U.S. ambassador to Türkiye.
In recent months, Barrack has emerged as a key figure in U.S. efforts to engage Syria’s transitional leadership while also overseeing broader regional diplomacy involving Iraq and Türkiye.
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.
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