After his term ended, Rubio said: Tom Barrack will continue to play a leadership role in Iraq and Syria.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that US Ambassador Tom Barrack will continue to play a leading role in the Syria and Iraq files within President Donald Trump’s administration, despite the end of his term as special envoy to Syria.
Rubio said in a post on the X platform that “Ambassador Tom Barrack has played an invaluable role as our special envoy to Syria.”
He added that “this title will end, but he will continue to play a leading role in the Trump administration, in both Syria and Iraq, where his experience, relationships, and understanding of the America First agenda will continue to deliver gains on behalf of our great country.”
Barak, the US ambassador to Turkey, took over the role of special envoy to Syria in May 2025, in parallel with the Trump administration’s moves to reformulate its approach to the Syrian issue and lift sanctions on Damascus, in light of Turkey’s growing role in the Syrian issue.
Rubio’s statements give an official dimension to the broader role that Barak has begun to play practically in Iraq as well, after he emerged during the past period at the forefront of American communications with Baghdad, following the failure of Mark Savaya to officially assume the position of Special Envoy to Iraq.
Shafaq.com