Peloni: The dominant role which Trump placed in Tom Barrack hands when he raised him to such a prominent position in the Middle East has always belied a serious warning sign for Trump’s Middle East policy. Turkey is an expansionist power, and has taken advantage of Trump’s pro Turkey posture on two occasions to expand its acquisitions. The first was in 2018 and the second was over the past year, but both occasions relate to Turkey’s rising expansion in Syria. This, however, is not the limit of his expansionist aims, even as he now has control over part of Crete and is looking to increase his control in Libya.
Barack plays a key role as US ambassador to Turkey, Special Envoy to Syria, and one of the key figures in American policy in the Levant, while also keeping constant dialogues with Gulf state actors.
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN | FEBRUARY 11, 2026 16:22
Tom Barrack met with Ahmed al-Sharaa. Photo by Ambassador Tom Barrack – X, Public Domain, Wikipedia
US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, who is also the ambassador to Turkey, is playing a key role in US policy in the northern Levant.
He not only has roles in Syria and Turkey but also in the countries that border them, such as Lebanon and Iraq.
He was in Saudi Arabia this week for a crucial meeting of the US-led anti-Islamic State coalition. As the top American diplomat in Syria, he has been working with Syria’s transitional government.
Damascus joined the anti-ISIS coalition in November, after a trip by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Washington. This is a significant shift for Syria and for the role of the US in the coalition.
It means that now, the United States can work directly with Damascus to fight ISIS. Additionally, the US is transitioning from working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Syria to working with Damascus.
Since Syria has close ties with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, it means that America’s top envoy has reasons to meet with key officials in the Gulf.
On Tuesday, Barrack wrote about the outcome of the anti-ISIS meetings that had taken place in Saudi Arabia on Monday: “Regional solutions, shared responsibility. Syria’s participation in the D-ISIS Coalition meeting in Riyadh marks a new chapter in collective security.”
The meetings in Saudi Arabia came in the wake of developments in Syria
Current situation in Syria
In January, the Syrian government clashed with the IDF. On January 29, the SDF and the Syrian government signed a new agreement, and the Syrian government sent Interior Ministry forces to Kurdish areas of eastern Syria. Syrian officials traveled to Qamishli International Airport on a work-related visit to deal with infrastructure and showcase Syrian government control.
In addition, the US-led coalition is moving ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq. Around 5,000 detainees have been moved in three weeks, reports indicated.
As detainees go to Iraq, the US Envoy has held discussions with Kurdish officials in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani spoke with Barrack last week, according to Kurdish media outlet Kurdistan24. Rudaw media in Erbil noted that “during this conversation, both parties shared their perspectives on the overall political climate in the region, as well as the most recent developments and changes in Syria,” Barzani’s office said, noting that “they mutually agreed that all efforts and necessary measures should continue to be taken to avert chaos, instability, and conflict, and to ensure peace and stability.”
This is far-reaching. The Kurdistan region is very important to both Syria and the US. The latter has a large consulate in Erbil, the region’s capital.
The KRG also has close ties with the Kurdish ENKS group in Syria. This group recently held meetings in Damascus and Erbil. ENKS is a Kurdish political group that is close to the Kurdish KDP, the ruling party in Erbil. As such, the Kurdish leadership in Erbil is both looking out for Kurdish rights in Syria and working with its political friends in Syria to do so.
The KRG has a border crossing with the Kurdish regions of eastern Syria. It wants stability. It also wants to continue to work with the US-led coalition. Kurdish leaders in the KRG, such as Masrur Barzani and Nechirvan Barzani, are playing a key role in the next steps to be taken. It’s also worth noting that they are in discussions about who might be Iraq’s next president.
The US is opposed to Nouri al-Maliki becoming Iraq’s next prime minister. Recently, Turkey has also made comments about Iraq, which ruffled feathers in Baghdad. Considering Barrack’s ties to Turkey and Syria, this may have ramifications, and the US envoy could help calm tensions or work on what comes next in Iraq. This is because Iraq is so closely entwined with what is happening in Syria, Turkey, and Iran.
While in Saudi Arabia, Barrack also met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. This took place in relation to the anti-ISIS coalition meeting.
As well as meeting with the Syrian foreign minister, Barrack met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Al-Arabiya noted that “the meeting came a day after Saudi Arabia announced a major investment package in Syria, spanning energy, aviation, real estate, and telecommunications.
The kingdom launched an investment fund in Syria that will commit 7.5 billion Saudi riyals ($2 billion) to develop two airports in the Syrian city of Aleppo over multiple phases, Saudi investment minister Khalid al-Falih said on Saturday.”
The Saudi investment is going to be a game-changer in Syria, as reflected by Barrack’s post on X/Twitter: “We commend the Saudi-Syrian investment agreements announced this week. Strategic partnerships in aviation, infrastructure, and telecommunications will contribute meaningfully to Syria’s reconstruction efforts,” he wrote.
“As [US President Donald Trump] has emphasized, regional stability is best achieved when nations of the region take responsibility for their own future – and this partnership delivers on that principle,” he added. Barrack also praised a recent oil and gas exploration deal that Chevron and a Qatari-based company have agreed to in Damascus.
“Honored to witness Syria’s historic milestone for offshore gas exploration: Syrian Petroleum Company signs first offshore exploration MoU with Chevron and Power International Holding,” Barrack posted on February 4.
Honored to witness Syria’s historic milestone for offshore gas exploration: Syrian Petroleum Company ?? signs first offshore exploration MoU with Chevron ?? and Power International Holding ??.
Syrian people’s unbreakable spirit and vast resources together forge a future of… https://t.co/QcpniT04wE— Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) February 4, 2026
The first two weeks of February have illustrated Barrack’s key role in the region in terms of US policy and the shifts that are taking place in the Middle East. His role forms part of the broader context of how Turkey and Saudi Arabia are also growing closer and discussing regional policy.
Currently, US policy on Syria is in the spotlight in Congress. Meanwhile, US-Iran tensions are high. While US Vice President JD Vance is in the Caucasus and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to eastern Europe, America’s key diplomat in the Middle East, Tom Barrack, is at the center of what is happening in the region.
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