Tom Barrack Retracts Comments Calling Golan Heights Occupied Territory

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack retracted statements in which he described the Golan Heights as occupied Syrian territory. In a Friday interview with podcaster Mario Nawfal, Barrack asserted that Israel occupies the region in defiance of United Nations resolutions and the international order. These comments directly contradicted the 2019 policy established by President Donald Trump recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the plateau.

Following criticism from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and U.S. political figures, Barrack clarified on Sunday that his remarks described the territory's historical status rather than endorsing a change in policy. He affirmed that U.S. policy remains unchanged. Barrack also walked back suggestions that Iran and Hezbollah should be involved in Lebanon settlement negotiations, stating he was highlighting the difficulty of the disarmament problem rather than proposing their inclusion at the table.

Separately, Barrack speculated that a recent Israeli strike on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase was a move by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bait Turkey for domestic political gain. Israel Katz rejected this claim, defending the strike as a necessary action based on intelligence to prevent Turkey from establishing a military presence in Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad. Both Turkey and Syria have denied that Turkish forces were scheduled for deployment at the base.