Trump ally Thomas Barrack to be appointed US special envoy for Syria

US President Donald Trump is set to appoint his longtime friend and former ambassador to Türkiye, Thomas Barrack, as Special Envoy for Syria, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The appointment, expected to be formalised in the coming days, marks a sharp turn in Washington’s Syria policy and is already sending ripples through international diplomatic circles, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

The move comes just days after Trump stunned global leaders by announcing that the United States would lift sanctions on Syria—a decision that signals a broader re-engagement with the war-torn country and opens the door for increased humanitarian assistance and financial reintegration.

Barrack, a billionaire real estate investor with deep ties to the Middle East, took part in a high-level US-Türkiye meeting on Syria held in Washington. According to officials, discussions focused on easing sanctions and bolstering cooperation in counterterrorism efforts, as well as addressing pressing humanitarian needs in northern Syria.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, defended the administration’s approach:

"We want to give this government a chance to succeed. The alternative could be full-scale civil war and regional instability."

Trump reportedly made his decision to appoint Barrack following conversations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He also met with Syrian President Ahmed Shara during a visit to Riyadh on May 14.

Born in Southern California to a Lebanese Christian family, 77-year-old Thomas Barrack is the grandson of immigrants from Zahle—a city that was part of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s and lies within today’s Lebanese borders.

He studied at the University of Southern California and earned a law degree from the University of San Diego.

In 1991, Barrack founded Colony Capital, a private equity firm known for acquiring distressed assets, particularly in the Middle East and Germany. His extensive business and political networks have made him a fixture in both financial and diplomatic spheres.

A longstanding confidant of Donald Trump, Barrack chaired the president’s 2017 inauguration committee. However, he later faced legal troubles over accusations of unlawfully lobbying for the United Arab Emirates and misleading federal investigators. He was acquitted of all nine charges in 2022.

Barrack’s appointment may draw criticism given his past legal issues, but supporters argue his Middle East experience and close ties to Trump make him uniquely positioned to navigate the complex dynamics of Syria’s post-war reconstruction.

The lifting of US sanctions is expected to facilitate humanitarian operations and may pave the way for Syria’s gradual reintegration into the global financial system. Still, analysts warn that regional tensions and internal divisions within Syria remain a significant challenge.

As Barrack steps into one of the most sensitive diplomatic roles in the Middle East, all eyes will be on Washington’s next move in a region where the balance of power remains precarious.

By Aghakazim Guliyev