US Envoy Tom Barrack Reaffirms Trump Position on Golan Heights After Initial Comments

US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack walked back comments he made on Friday regarding the status of the Golan Heights. In an interview with Mario Nawfal, Barrack had stated that Israel still occupies the territory in violation of UN resolutions. However, in a statement to the Associated Press on Sunday, Barrack clarified that his previous remarks described the historical status of the territory and were not an endorsement of the United Nations position. He stated that United States policy on the Golan was set by President Trump in 2019 and remains unchanged.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war and annexed the territory in 1981. While the United Nations and most of the international community consider the land occupied Syrian territory, President Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the area in 2019. Barrack explained that he had cited the Golan as an example that territory taken by force remains contested for generations to argue that negotiated agreements are more durable than territorial maps.

In additional remarks, Barrack condemned Israeli strikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in Idlib, calling them serious and worrisome. He suggested the strikes may have been politically motivated due to Israeli elections scheduled for October or intended to provoke a faceoff with Turkey. Barrack stated that the US would work to establish a deconfliction mechanism between Israel, Turkey, and Syria to prevent further violence, noting that Syria has demonstrated itself to be a responsible and stable sovereign neighbor.