US envoy Barrack backs Syrian government over Druze sheikh

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack has signaled that Washington favors the Syrian government's authority over the Druze-led province of Suwayda. His remarks place the United States in direct disagreement with Israel, which has backed a local faction linked to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri.

Suwayda remains a flashpoint in southern Syria. The majority-Druze governorate is one of the few areas where the central government does not hold full control. Tensions escalated after sectarian violence in July 2025, when fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze residents resulted in heavy casualties. Israel intervened during that conflict, attacking Syrian forces it claimed were entering the province.

Since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, Washington and Damascus have rebuilt diplomatic ties. President Donald Trump has developed a strong relationship with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, viewing stability as essential for the country's recovery after thirteen years of war. In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained a more skeptical posture. Israel seized land in Quneitra governorate immediately after the Assad regime fell and has since bombed the Ministry of Defence and detained Syrians in the south.

Barrack, who serves as US ambassador to Turkiye, spoke to Australian X personality Mario Nawfal on Friday. During the conversation, he referred to "a particular Druze sheikh," a reference widely identified as al-Hijri. Al-Hijri leads the National Guard, a Druze armed group accused of receiving Israeli support and pursuing separatist goals. By naming al-Hijri, Barrack implied that US backing for the Druze community does not extend to their alignment with Israel.

Navvar Saban, a researcher at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies, described Barrack's message as clear. "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 strategy is stark. Syrian analyst Nanar Hawach, 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. He added that Israel uses Suwayda as a lever, providing enough support to keep the province reliant on protection but not enough to secure its long-term future.

Residents of Suwayda have grown wary of the central government since the July 2025 killings. Many Druze oppose the new leadership, and al-Hijri benefits from this distrust. His authority rises when the community feels threatened and wanes when the pressure recedes. "Each side points to the other’s hard line to justify its own," Hawach observed. "That keeps Suwayda’s future framed in security terms."

In September 2025, the US, Jordan, and Syria signed a trilateral agreement in Amman. The deal requires Syria to invite an independent international commission to investigate the July 2025 events and ensure perpetrators are held accountable. While major fighting has paused, the situation remains in deadlock. "A durable settlement needs credible accountability for what happened in 2025," Saban said. "The Druze need to be guaranteed protection of movement, education and security."