The United States' new envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, on Thursday urged Syria and Israel to pursue a non-aggression agreement, calling their decades-long conflict a “solvable problem” and signaling a potential shift in regional diplomacy.
In remarks to Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya, Barrack said the two sides could begin with confidence-building measures. “They can start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders,” he said, emphasizing the need to rebuild ties.
Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and has since launched numerous airstrikes targeting what it claims are weapons transfers to extremist elements within Syria.
Barrack’s comments followed the inauguration of the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Damascus, marking the first such move in more than a decade and symbolizing a renewed American diplomatic presence in Syria. The U.S. embassy had been closed since 2011 amid the civil unrest that evolved into a prolonged conflict.
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa — once an anti-regime commander — said earlier this month that his government was engaged in indirect talks with Israel aimed at de-escalating tensions. “We are trying to contain the situation so it does not reach the point where it escapes the control of both sides,” he said in France on May 8.
Al-Sharaa, who led the offensive that ousted dictator Bashar Assad in December, has pledged to govern inclusively and reopen Syria to the international community. His administration has already restored diplomatic ties with several regional and global powers.
The United States has taken several steps to normalize relations with Damascus. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria during a Gulf tour, expressing optimism that Damascus would eventually normalize ties with Israel. “I told him, I hope you’re going to join once you’re straightened out, and he said yes,” Trump said of his talks with Sharaa, whom he described as “a young, attractive guy” and “a fighter.”
As part of its post-war reconstruction efforts, Syria signed a $7 billion energy agreement on Thursday with a consortium of Qatari, Turkish, and American firms. The deal is expected to generate up to 5,000 megawatts of electricity, meeting nearly half of the country's current energy needs.
“Only a week after President Trump’s announcement to lift sanctions, we have already unlocked billions of dollars of international investment for Syria,” Barrack said in a post on the social media platform X.
The signing ceremony was attended by both Barrack and President al-Sharaa, underscoring growing U.S.-Syria cooperation after years of diplomatic freeze. Syrian officials said the deal reflects the new government’s openness to regional and international partnerships.
AFP photographers captured images of the U.S. flag being raised at the newly reopened ambassador’s residence in Damascus’ Abu Rummaneh district, located near the U.S. embassy, which remains closed for now.
“Tom understands there is great potential in working with Syria to stop radicalism, improve relations, and secure peace in the Middle East,” the U.S. State Department said in a post quoting President Trump.
Barrack previously met with al-Sharaa in Istanbul on May 24, continuing the diplomatic outreach that began with preliminary talks led by State Department official Barbara Leaf in December. The last U.S. ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, was declared persona non grata in 2011 after visiting a protest site during the early stages of the Syrian uprising.
