Barrack aligns Washington with Damascus on Suwayda

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack indicated that Washington prefers Syrian government control over Suwayda, a move that signals a strategic divergence from Israel’s approach to the country’s south.

The southern governorate is majority Druze and remains one of the few areas where the central government lacks full authority. Barrack’s comments, made during a conversation with Australian X personality Mario Nawfal on Friday, focused on a specific Druze sheikh. Observers identify this figure as Hikmat al-Hijri, a political and religious leader linked to the National Guard, a Druze armed group accused of receiving Israeli support.

Tensions in the region have escalated since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. Israel seized land in Quneitra governorate and other strategic areas immediately following the regime's fall. Since then, Israeli forces have bombed the Syrian Ministry of Defence and harassed residents in the south, actions that have drawn sharp criticism from Damascus.

The friction intensified after sectarian violence erupted in Suwayda in July 2025. Fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze residents turned deadly, with government-linked forces reportedly joining the Bedouin side. The conflict resulted in disproportionate Druze casualties and a deepening distrust of the new leadership in Damascus. Israel intervened during the clashes, attacking Syrian forces entering the province, and has since sought to build relationships with local leaders like al-Hijri.

Navvar Saban, a researcher at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies, described Barrack’s stance as a direct message to Israel. "Israel backing [al-Hijri] does not equal American backing," Saban said. "Washington has prioritised an agreement with Damascus while Israel retains its own security demands and relationship."

Nanar Hawach, a Syrian analyst who visited Suwayda in September, noted that the remarks expose a fundamental difference in strategy. "Washington is building a partner in Damascus while Israel appears to prefer a Damascus that is too weak to assert itself in the south," Hawach said. He added that Israel uses Suwayda as a lever, offering enough support to keep the province reliant on Israeli protection but not enough to secure its long-term future.

The diplomatic path forward has involved trilateral talks hosted by Jordan. In September 2025, the US, Syria, and Jordan signed an agreement in Amman. The accord stipulates that Syria will invite an independent international commission to investigate the July 2025 killings and bring perpetrators to justice.

Despite the agreement, the situation remains in a deadlock. Residents in Suwayda continue to feel the pressure of government oversight in areas such as salaries and education. Hawach noted that al-Hijri’s authority rises with the community’s sense of threat, meaning pressure from Damascus often strengthens the leadership it aims to weaken.

Saban emphasized that a durable settlement requires credible accountability for the 2025 events. The Druze population needs guarantees regarding movement, education, and security. Neither weakening al-Hijri nor restoring government institutions alone will rebuild the necessary trust between the south and the capital.

Barrack, who serves as both the US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria and Iraq, has been known for his direct diplomatic style. His recent remarks position the US as a stabilizing force backing the new leadership in Damascus against a more assertive Israeli presence in the border regions.