Trump names Turkey ambassador Tom Barrack as special envoy to Iraq and Syria

BAGHDAD — US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Tom Barrack, the United States ambassador to Turkey, will also serve as special presidential envoy to Iraq and Syria while remaining in his Ankara post.

“As we advance our strategic cooperation with the Governments of Syria and Iraq, our relationship with them continues to grow,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that Barrack would work “with the full backing of the United States Department of State.”

Earlier this month Barrack expressed optimism about Iraq’s new leadership following parliament’s confidence vote, saying Washington is prepared to work closely with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government. The remarks followed Barrack’s first direct contact with Zaidi on April 30, when he congratulated him by phone.

Barrack replaces Mark Savaya, an Iraqi-American businessman from Michigan who was appointed US special envoy to Iraq in October 2025. Reuters and other outlets reported in January 2026 that Savaya was no longer serving in the post, with one source citing what was described as his “mishandling” of political developments in Iraq.