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U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack is getting expanded duties from President Donald Trump to serve as special envoy to Syria and Iraq as the administration tries to forge lasting peace in the Middle East.
“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 in a Truth Social post Sunday.
Syria, a longtime Iranian terrorist proxy battleground, has moved to make peace with the Trump administration and Israel in recent years. It has largely been moved in that direction with the guidance of Turkey, the northern neighbor of Iraq and Syria.
“Tom will remain Ambassador to Türkiye, and operate with the full backing of the United States Department of State,” Trump’s post continued. “We greatly appreciate the work that Tom Barrack has done, and his continued willingness to serve our Country.”
US AMBASSADOR BARRACK NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA AMID SANCTIONS RELIEF PLAN
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack is getting an expanded role in the region to help root out Iranian terrorist proxies and secure lasting peace in the Middle East under President Donald Trump. (Getty Images)
The announcement came as Washington remains locked in high-stakes negotiations with Iran and as Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards launched new attacks on separatist groups in northern Iraq, according to Reuters.
Barrack’s expanded assignment places him at the center of several overlapping pressure points in the region: the future of U.S. engagement with Syria, the stability of Iraq, Turkey’s role as a regional power broker and the broader fallout from the U.S.-Iran conflict.
The move also follows earlier reporting that Barrack had already been playing a major…
