The Trump administration announced on Friday the appointment of Tom Barrack, the current US ambassador to Turkey and a longtime ally of the president, as the new Special Envoy for Syria.
The announcement marks a significant shift in US engagement in the Middle East following the fall of the Assad regime.
Barrack is a billionaire real estate investor with deep business ties in the Gulf.
Born in the United States to Lebanese Christian grandparents who immigrated from Zahle, Lebanon, in 1900, Barrack brings a personal connection to the region that many in Washington believe could help bridge diplomatic divides.
His appointment to the Syria portfolio signals a strategic move to consolidate decision-making around the Oval Office and advance Trump’s renewed vision for a stabilized Levant.
“President Trump has outlined his clear vision of a prosperous Middle East and a stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors,” Barrack said in a statement released by the US Embassy in Ankara.
“As President Trump’s representative in Türkiye, I am proud to assume the role of US Special Envoy for Syria and support Secretary Rubio in realizing the president’s vision.”
The appointment comes on the heels of Trump’s surprise announcement in Riyadh last week that the US would lift longstanding economic sanctions on Syria.
The move, made at the request of regional leaders, bypassed a planned phased sanctions relief process, underlining the administration’s urgency to reengage.
Trump also recently met with Syria’s de facto leader, former Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham commander Ahmed el-Chareh, signaling a willingness to allow Turkey and Gulf allies to play a central role in shaping Syria’s future.
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