Barrack signals US stance on one key Druze figure in Syria

US special envoy Tom Barrack has indicated that Washington supports Syrian government authority over the southern province of Suwayda.

Barrack made these remarks during a recent conversation with Mario Nawfal, an Australian content creator on the platform X. He referenced a specific Druze sheikh, widely identified as Hikmat al-Hijri, who leads the National Guard, an armed group with ties to local separatist movements. Barrack's comments suggest a preference for Damascus's control rather than an arrangement centered on al-Hijri and his Israeli-linked faction.

Suwayda is a majority Druze governorate and remains one of the few areas where the Syrian government does not hold full operational control. The tension stems from the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024. Since then, relations between Washington and the new government under Ahmed al-Sharaa have improved, while Israel has maintained a more adversarial posture. Israel has conducted airstrikes on Syrian ministries, seized land in the Quneitra governorate, and supported local Druze groups as a counterbalance to Damascus.

Navvar Saban, a researcher at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies, noted that the envoy's message was unambiguous. Saban stated that Israeli support for al-Hijri does not equate to American backing, as Washington has prioritized an agreement with Damascus. Nanar Hawach, a Syrian analyst who visited the region in September, observed that Washington is building a partnership in Damascus, whereas Israel appears to prefer a government weak enough to be managed in the south.

The current stalemate follows violent sectarian clashes in July 2025 between Bedouin tribes and Druze residents. These conflicts resulted in significant Druze casualties and led to Israel intervening against Syrian government forces. A trilateral agreement signed in Amman in September 2025 established that Syria would invite an independent international commission to investigate the July events and ensure perpetrators faced justice.

Hawach argued that Israel is using Suwayda as a lever to maintain a military presence in southern Syria. He stated that Israel offers enough support to keep the province reliant on its protection but not enough to secure its long-term future. This strategy, he said, revives wartime grievances between neighboring communities that could complicate any future arrangement between Syria and Israel.

Residents in Suwayda continue to face pressure from the central government, which analysts say has eroded trust. Hawach noted that this pressure is felt in daily life, including salaries and examinations. Saban emphasized that a durable settlement requires credible accountability for the 2025 events. He added that the Druze community needs guaranteed protections for movement, education, and security to rebuild confidence in the state.

The US continues to host talks between the parties to resolve the crisis, with the next phase focused on implementing the accountability measures outlined in the September agreement.