ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday congratulated Tom Barrack on his appointment as Special Presidential Envoy to Iraq and Syria, expressing hope for strengthened partnership between Erbil, Baghdad, and Washington.
“Congratulations to Ambassador Tom Barrack on his appointment,” President Barzani said in a statement posted on X, adding, “We look forward to his leadership in strengthening Iraq-Kurdistan-U.S. relations and helping address the challenges facing the country.”
The Kurdish President further wished Barrack “every success in this important role” and expressed confidence that “his efforts will contribute to greater stability and cooperation.”
Similarly, Prime Minister Barzani congratulated Barrack on his new role, wishing him “success” and adding that he looks forward “to working closely” with the US diplomat “to further strengthen the longstanding partnership between the Kurdistan Region and the United States.”
US President Donald Trump on Sunday officially appointed Barrack as his envoy to Iraq and Syria, while affirming that he will continue to serve as the country’s ambassador to Turkey - a position he has held since May 2025.
“I am pleased to announce that United States Ambassador to Türkiye, Tom Barrack, who has done an outstanding job, will be named Special Presidential Envoy to Syria and, likewise, Special Presidential Envoy to Iraq, as we advance our strategic cooperation with the Governments of Syria and Iraq,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Our relationship with them continues to grow!” he added.
Barrack, in addition to serving as the US ambassador to Turkey, assumed the additional role of special envoy for Syria in May 2025. His appointment came shortly after Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria and held a rare meeting with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh.
Over the past year, the top diplomat has emerged as one of the most influential American officials involved in Syria, where he contributed to a landmark integration deal between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in late January.
Barrack has also served as the unofficial, de facto US envoy to Iraq since the abrupt departure of Mark Savaya in January.
With Baghdad lacking an official American ambassador for 18 months, the envoy quietly absorbed the Iraq portfolio into his existing responsibilities, becoming a primary figure for the Trump administration on Iraq security matters.
The US envoy notably made a high-profile engagement in Iraq in late April when he held a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, congratulating him on his appointment.
“During the call, they discussed ways to strengthen relations between Iraq and the United States and enhance cooperation in several fields, contributing to consolidating the strategic partnership between the two countries,” a statement from Zaidi’s office then read.