Barrack signals US preference for Damascus control in Suwayda standoff

The United States special envoy to Syria and Iraq has publicly signaled that Washington favors Syrian government control over the restive southern province of Suwayda.

Tom Barrack, who also serves as the US ambassador to Turkiye, discussed the regional tensions during a recent interview with Mario Nawfal, an Australian personality on the social media platform X. In the conversation, Barrack referenced a specific Druze sheikh in the region, a figure widely identified as Hikmat al-Hijri.

Al-Hijri is a leading political and religious figure in Suwayda, a majority Druze governorate that remains one of the few areas where the new Syrian government does not hold full authority. The National Guard, a Druze armed group linked to Al-Hijri, has faced accusations of receiving support from Israel and pursuing separatist goals.

Analysts interpret Barrack’s comments as a clear message to Israel. The Israeli government has attacked Syrian military targets and sought to build relationships with the Druze community in the south. Many in Damascus view the National Guard as an Israeli proxy in this ongoing standoff.

Navvar Saban, a researcher in security and military affairs at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies, stated that the message was unambiguous. "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."

The divergence in views stems from the different approaches taken by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has cultivated a strong relationship with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, viewing stability as essential for a country rebuilding after 13 years of war. Netanyahu, however, maintains a distinct strategy that has involved military incursions into Quneitra governorate and other strategic areas following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Nanar Hawach, a Syrian analyst who visited Suwayda in September, noted that Washington is building a partner in Damascus. "Israel appears to prefer a Damascus that is too weak to assert itself in the south," Hawach said.

The current deadlock in Suwayda follows deadly sectarian clashes in July 2025 between Bedouin tribes and Druze residents. Forces reportedly connected to the government joined the fighting on the side of the Bedouins, resulting in casualties that were overwhelmingly Druze. Israel intervened during the fighting by attacking Syrian government forces entering the province.

A trilateral agreement signed in Amman in September 2025 established a framework for an independent international commission to investigate the July events. While major fighting has not resumed, residents report that distrust of the government has hardened. Many feel the pressure of reintegration through reduced salaries and administrative hurdles.

Saban emphasized that a durable settlement requires credible accountability for the 2025 violence. "The Druze need to be guaranteed protection of movement, education and security," he said. "Neither weakening Hijri, nor restoring government institutions alone will rebuild the trust."