Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC
 / people

Tom Barrack

Tom Barrack
The latest news and top stories on Tom Barrack, the US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, actively engaged in Middle East diplomatic efforts. His responsibilities include discussing Hezbollah’s disarmament with Lebanese authorities.
An Israeli tank drives along the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Israel-Gaza war

Syria holds talks with Israel addressing de-escalation, Israel-Turkey tensions

A Syrian government source said Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Roman Gofman.

Middle East

US envoy walks back comments on Golan Heights that contradicted Trump’s position

Israel

Israel targets ‘terrorist’ in southern Syria; Damascus condemns attack

6
United States

Israel and Turkey edge towards a dangerous miscalculation over Syria

Unannounced Israeli jets near the Turkish border could easily have triggered a clash, in a high-stakes ‘warning’ to Ankara.

17
An Israeli Air Force F-15D Eagle fighter aircraft. Israel bombed a military airfield in Syria near the Turkish border earlier this week. Photo: AFP
Fifa World Cup 2026

Iran slams US ‘discriminatory treatment’ over World Cup visa refusals

12 officials, including team manager and press officer, have reportedly been denied entry for the tournament.

Middle East

Syria gives Kurds 4 days to accept integration as US signals end of support

The government announced a new truce after seizing swathes of territory from the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Middle East

US says it carried out new ‘large-scale’ strikes against Isis in Syria

The attack is the latest response to a shooting by a lone militant that killed two American soldiers and a US civilian interpreter.

videocam
US airmen load GBU-31 munition systems onto an F-15E Strike Eagle in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike in December. Photo: US Air Force via AFP
Syria

Kurdish fighters refuse to leave Syria’s Aleppo after truce

Kurdish fighters defy Aleppo truce, sparking fears of wider conflict amid civilian evacuations and international pressure.

Donald Trump

Syria’s year of ‘epic’ transformation earns it Trump’s protection

Washington is lifting sanctions and has rebuked Israel for its attacks, as the US throws its weight behind Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration.

videocam
War and conflict

As I see it | Would the world be safer if the military were in charge of the US?

Capricious political leaders like Donald Trump and his defence chief may be more dangerous than responsible and battle-tested generals.

7
US President Donald Trump speaks alongside his defence secretary Pete Hegseth in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 2. Photo: AFP
Middle East

‘No calm in Beirut’ as more Israeli strikes expected after Hezbollah ultimatum

Israel’s ultimatum to Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah by New Year’s Eve is more about political pressure than an invasion plan, analysts say.

videocam
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Sejoud on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Middle East

Syria leader arrives in US for Trump visit after removal from terror blacklist

Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted Assad, has been working to present a moderate image, in a break from his group’s violent past.

videocam
Donald Trump

Trump hosts Erdogan as US considers lifting ban on F-35 sales to Turkey

The US is concerned about the Nato ally’s relationship with Moscow, including the purchase of a missile system and the buying of Russian oil.

Israel-Gaza war

Israel’s annexation plans fuel fears of Palestinians’ annihilation

What is happening in Gaza is tantamount to ‘the final solution’, an academic says, as Israel also plans to annex most of the West Bank.

28
Palestinian children wait to receive food from a charity kitchen in Gaza City on Wednesday. Photo: APA Images/Zuma Press Wire/dpa
Hezbollah

Hezbollah leader rejects disarmament, demands Israel comply with ceasefire first

Israel signalled it would scale back military presence in southern Lebanon if the Lebanese army took action to disarm the Iran-backed group.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem. Photo: Al Manar TV / Reuters TV via Reuters
Middle East

Syria’s President Sharaa hopes for Kurdish deal to prevent conflict

Turkey and the US back the deal to integrate Syria’s oil-rich northeast into the state and want to resolve the issue peacefully, Sharaa said.

Syria

Syria’s elections: a path to inclusion or continued conflict?

A deepening humanitarian crisis and minority grievances complicate Syria’s bid for a centralised state, 14 years after its civil war began.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Defence

How Turkey re-emerged as the West’s ‘indispensable’ defence partner

Europe and the US are recalibrating their security priorities, with renewed respect for Turkey’s strategic importance and defence industry.

Turkish soldiers march in a military parade in Istanbul last August. Photo: AFP
Syria

Bedouin fighters leave Syrian Druze-majority city of Sweida after deadly clashes

Withdrawal follows fighting and a US-brokered agreement, with humanitarian aid now entering the southern province.

Middle East

Israeli military strikes targets at Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen

Two missiles were launched from Yemen towards Israel just hours later, the Israeli army said.

Middle East

Hezbollah will not disarm or surrender under threat from Israel

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the Lebanese militant group will only disarm after Israel’s aggression stops first.

A Hezbollah supporter holds a poster reading ‘We shall not abandon our weapons’ as others listen during a Shiite sermon, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday. Photo: AP
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement