Tom Barrack, US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Syria, will be stepping down from his role.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move on X, without mentioning who might replace him.
Mr Barrack assumed the role in May 2025, shortly after Washington announced plans to lift major sanctions on Damascus. He took up the position while retaining his post as ambassador to Turkey.
On X, Mr Rubio indicated that Mr Barrack's special envoy title was expiring, hinting that it would not be renewed.
Special envoy terms are not fixed by law and depend directly on the President’s decision to appoint or extend them.
Mr Rubio indicated that Mr Barrack would “continue to play a leading role for the Trump administration in both Syria and Iraq, where his expertise, relationships, and understanding of the America First agenda will continue to deliver wins on behalf of our great country”.
As special envoy to Syria, Mr Barrack oversaw key elements of Washington’s post-Assad strategy. He helped oversee the easing of sanctions on Damascus and reconstruction efforts alongside Turkey and Gulf states. He was also involved in counter-ISIS co-operation.
His most significant work included brokering talks between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces, while supporting efforts to stabilise the administration of Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara and expand Washington's diplomatic engagement with Damascus after years of isolation.
During his tenure, he faced backlash, notably during a news conference in Lebanon, where, as journalists tried to ask him questions, he urged them to act “civilised” and not to behave in an “animalistic” way. This sparked outrage across the country. In his role, he continued pushing for direct talks between Israel and Lebanon.
He was also accused of "looking down" on Lebanese politicians, after saying that “the Lebanese political culture is deny, detour and deflect”.
His support for Mr Al Shara was also criticised, especially by Syrian-Kurdish leaders, who believed that Mr Barrack's stance was excessively “pro-Damascus” and that he was putting intense pressure on Kurdish groups to accept Mr Al Shara's terms and conditions.
He was the fourth US special envoy to Syria in the past 12 years, although Washington had a notable absence between January 2021 and March 2025.
The US paused appointing ambassadors to Syria in 2014, at the height of the civil war. The last one was Stephen Ford, who served from December 2011 to February 2014.
