Barrack tells X user Washington favors Damascus in Suwayda dispute

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack stated on Friday that Washington favors the Syrian government’s control over the southern governorate of Suwayda. He made the comment during an interview with Australian X personality Mario Nawfal. Barrack identified the local rival as a particular Druze sheikh, widely understood to be Hikmat al-Hijri. Barrack serves as the US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria and Iraq.

Suwayda is a majority Druze region where the Syrian government does not hold full authority. The National Guard, a Druze armed group linked to al-Hijri, operates in the area. The group has faced accusations of receiving support from Israel. Analysts view Barrack’s remarks as a signal that the US and Israel hold different views on the region’s political future.

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

The divergence in US and Israeli policy follows the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The US has rebuilt relations with the new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained a critical stance. Israel invaded Syria in the days after al-Assad’s collapse. It seized land in Quneitra governorate and other strategic areas. Israel has also bombed the Syrian Ministry of Defence and arrested Syrians in the south.

Nanar Hawach, a Syrian analyst who visited Suwayda in September, said Barrack’s remarks expose differences with Israel. Hawach observed that Washington is building a partner in Damascus. He stated that Israel appears to prefer a Damascus that is too weak to assert itself in the south. Israel has intervened in local fighting and attempted to build favor with al-Hijri.

Tensions in Suwayda escalated in July 2025 after fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze turned into sectarian killings. Forces connected to the government reportedly joined the Bedouins. Casualties were overwhelmingly Druze. Israel attacked Syrian government forces entering the province during the conflict. Since then, the situation has remained in a deadlock. Many residents in the province lack trust in the central government.

In September 2025, a trilateral agreement was signed in Amman, Jordan. The agreement stated that Syria would invite an independent international commission to investigate the July 2025 events. It also said perpetrators would be brought to justice. Saban said a durable settlement needs credible accountability for the 2025 events. He noted that neither weakening al-Hijri nor restoring government institutions alone will rebuild trust.

Hawach said Israel appears intent on a lasting military presence in southern Syria. He noted that Israel uses Suwayda as a lever against Damascus. He said Israel offers enough support to keep the province reliant on Israeli protection and too little to secure its future. Al-Hijri’s support in the region is not universal, but it rises when the Druze community feels under attack. Hawach added that pressure from Damascus tends to strengthen the leadership it aims to weaken.