US Envoy Barrack Tells X Audience Washington Backs Damascus in Suwayda

Tom Barrack, the United States special envoy to Syria and Iraq, told a popular X personality this week that Washington prefers Syrian government control over the southern province of Suwayda. Barrack’s remarks, made during a conversation with Australian X personality Mario Nawfal on Friday, clarify a US position that contrasts with the approach taken by Israel in the region.

The comments refer specifically to a Druze sheikh identified as Hikmat al-Hijri. Al-Hijri is a leading political and religious figure in Suwayda, a governorate where the Druze constitute the majority. The area remains one of the few locations in Syria where the central government does not exercise full authority. Barrack’s reference to Al-Hijri is widely interpreted as a signal that the US does not view the sheikh’s faction as a preferred partner for stability.

Navvar Saban, a researcher in security and military affairs at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies, stated that the message from Barrack was clear. Saban told Al Jazeera that Israel’s support for Al-Hijri does not equal American backing. He noted that Washington has prioritized an agreement with Damascus, even as Israel retains its own security demands and relationships in the area.

The diplomatic shift follows the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Since then, the US has rebuilt relations with Damascus under new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. President Donald Trump has established a strong relationship with Al-Sharaa, viewing instability in Syria as dangerous for a nation attempting to rebuild after 13 years of war. This stance differs from that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has maintained a more assertive posture in the region.

Israel has taken direct action in southern Syria since the Assad government collapsed. Israeli forces invaded and seized land in Quneitra governorate and other strategic areas. Israel has also bombed the Syrian Ministry of Defence, arrested Syrians in the south, and accused the National Guard, a Druze armed group linked to Al-Hijri, of acting as a proxy. The National Guard has been accused of receiving support from Israel with separatist ambitions.

Tensions in Suwayda escalated significantly in July 2025. Fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze residents turned into deadly sectarian killings. Forces connected to the Syrian government reportedly joined the Bedouins. While violence occurred on both sides, casualties were overwhelmingly Druze. Israel intervened during the fighting, attacking what it described as Syrian government forces entering Suwayda. Since that incident, Israel has reportedly sought to build favor with locals, including Al-Hijri, who opposes Damascus’s new leadership.

Nanar Hawach, a Syrian analyst who visited Suwayda in September, said Barrack’s remarks expose differences between the US and Israel. Hawach noted that Washington is building a partner in Damascus, while Israel appears to prefer a government too weak to assert itself in the south. Hawach added that Israel treats neighboring communities along the Quneitra and Daraa lines differently, reviving wartime grievances that will complicate future arrangements.

The situation in Suwayda remains in a deadlock. Major fighting has not resumed, but residents have limited trust in the government. Distrust has hardened as Damascus seeks to bring the province back by pressuring its leadership. Residents feel this pressure through salaries, school exams, and access to the capital. A trilateral agreement signed in Amman in September 2025 called for an independent international commission to investigate the events of July 2025 and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.

Analysts say accountability is necessary for reconciliation. Saban stated that a durable settlement requires credible accountability for the 2025 events. The Druze community needs guarantees for protection of movement, education, and security. Neither weakening Al-Hijri nor restoring government institutions alone will rebuild trust, according to Saban. Hawach noted that Al-Hijri’s authority rises with the community’s sense of threat and opens to debate as that threat recedes.