Tom Barrack

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has denied intentions to fight Hezbollah, despite US encouragement. Hezbollah has expressed openness to dialogue with Damascus, while Trump and US envoy Tom Barrack have advocated for Syrian involvement in Hezbollah's disarmament. Syria cites risks to domestic stability and potential empowerment of Islamic State (IS) as reasons for its stance.

Iraq and Syria signed a deal to rehabilitate the Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline, aiming to bypass the Strait of Hormuz as part of a US-brokered agreement. The US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy, Tom Barrack, led efforts, with initial reporting by Middle East Eye followed by major international news outlets.

Iraq and Syria signed a US-brokered agreement to rehabilitate the Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline, aiming to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The project, led by a consortium including Chevron and TI Capital, is described as a strategic infrastructure priority by the US State Department.

Chevron and Iraq are collaborating on a pipeline project through Syria to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The consortium includes a Syrian-Qatari group and a Los Angeles-based venture firm linked to Trump ally Tom Barrack.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi attended the funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and later met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The White House viewed the meeting as a strategic win, signaling Iraq's potential shift toward the U.S. and away from Iran.

Iraq, Syria, and the US plan to revive a 500-mile pipeline from Kirkuk to Baniyas to reduce Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement is expected to be unveiled when Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets US President Donald Trump.

Syria, Iraq, and the US plan to revive a historic pipeline from Kirkuk to Syria's Baniyas to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to reduce Iran's influence. The Trump administration and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi are set to announce the deal, with US companies involved in reconstruction.

US Army websites oil.army.mil and ai2c.army.mil were defaced with pro-Kurdish messages and insults targeting President Donald Trump and Ambassador Tom Barrack. The defacements, achieved via 404 hijacking, affected error pages on subdomains hosted on WordPress and Microsoft cloud infrastructure. The Army took the sites offline, stating they were hosted on a legacy third-party platform unrelated to its enterprise network.

US President Donald Trump has suggested Syria take responsibility for dealing with Hezbollah, raising Lebanese fears of renewed Syrian military involvement. Damascus has denied these claims, while US envoy Tom Barrack dismissed reports of Washington pressuring Syria to act as 'false and inaccurate'.

U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested assigning Syria a role in addressing Hezbollah, prompting Damascus to deny plans for military intervention in Lebanon. Lebanese authorities received assurances from Syria that it has no intention of sending forces into Lebanon, despite earlier U.S. reports suggesting Washington had encouraged such action.

The FBI has returned Ibrahim Khaldoon Hilmi, a fugitive accused of orchestrating a $3.7 billion Medicare fraud scheme, to the U.S. after his capture in Turkey. Hilmi fled the U.S. in May 2025 and was detained by Turkish authorities, with the FBI facilitating his transfer through a foreign custody operation. This marks the second high-profile return of a Medicare fraud suspect in a week, following the capture of Herbert Kimble.

Trump told Israel to let Syria attack Hezbollah in Lebanon, suggesting President Ahmed al-Sharaa's forces could handle it better. This contradicts previous denials by his own ambassador and raises concerns about reopening historical conflicts and sectarian tensions.

President Donald Trump has appointed U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack as Special Presidential Envoy to Syria and Iraq, expanding his role amid efforts to advance regional peace. The move occurs as the administration navigates tensions with Iran and addresses instability in northern Iraq.

President Donald Trump has expanded the role of U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, appointing him as Special Presidential Envoy to Syria and Iraq to advance regional peace efforts. The move coincides with ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations and heightened tensions in northern Iraq, where Iran's Revolutionary Guards have launched attacks against separatist groups.

Trump envoy Tom Barrack is stepping down from his formal Syria post but will continue managing US policy in Syria and Iraq. Senator Rubio announced the change in Barrack's role.

An Iraqi man, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, has been brought to New York to face federal terrorism charges for orchestrating nearly 20 terrorist attacks across Europe and plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in the US. He is accused of coordinating attacks in the name of Ashab al-Yamin, a pro-Iranian Islamist group. Al-Saadi faces six terrorism charges, including conspiring to provide material support to terrorist groups.

U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack defended his controversial remarks equating Israel with Hezbollah, emphasizing 'realism' and the 'peace through strength' policy. He denied shifting U.S. stance toward Hezbollah or Iran, citing the need for pragmatic Middle East strategies. Barrack also advocated for Turkey's reinstatement in the F-35 program despite its S-400 purchase.