Trump adds Iraq to special envoy Tom Barrack's role in Syria

President Donald Trump said he's expanding the scope of his special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, to include Iraq.

Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, became Trump's Syria envoy in 2025, soon after President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power. His now-renewed appointment to that post had expired on Friday.

"As we advance our strategic cooperation with the Governments of Syria and Iraq, our relationship with them continues to grow," Trump said in a social post Sunday.

The U.S. restored diplomatic relations with Syria after the ouster of former leader Bashar Al-Assad. Iraq is poised to get a new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, after the Trump administration lobbied against former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki out of concerns about Iranian influence.

Barrack is a "key trusted hand on Iraq," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday on X.

Barrack is the founder of private equity firm Colony Capital Inc. and has long-standing business ties in the Middle East.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 10:32 AM.