US envoy retracts remark on Syria's Golan while reaffirming Trump policy

The United States ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria has retracted a remark that appeared to describe the Golan Heights as occupied Syrian land. Tom Barrack said Washington's policy on the territory remains unchanged and still reflects the position set by President Donald Trump in 2019. The clarification comes after comments he made in an interview on Friday drew criticism from supporters of Israel's claim to the area.

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Barrack said in a statement that United States policy on the Golan was set by Trump in 2019 and remains unchanged. In the earlier interview, he said Israel still occupies the Golan against United Nations resolutions and against what he called the international order. His later clarification restated the Trump-era position that recognises Israel's claimed sovereignty over the territory.

The issue is sensitive because the Golan Heights has long been one of the most disputed pieces of land in the region. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981. Until Trump's recognition of Israel's claim, no country had recognised the Golan as part of Israel.

That move prompted international criticism, with legal experts warning it could weaken the principle that territory cannot be acquired by force. Former President Joe Biden did not reverse the policy during his term, and the row has remained a live issue in US Middle East diplomacy. The latest clarification matters because it touches on a territorial dispute that carries legal, diplomatic and strategic weight.

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The Golan Heights sits in southern Syria and has been central to tensions between Israel and Syria for decades. Any shift in language from a senior US envoy can be read as significant, even when the official policy itself does not change. It also comes at a time when Washington's positions on regional disputes are being closely watched by allies and critics alike.

Barrack's comments were made in an interview with podcaster Mario Nawfal, where he was asked about possible Israeli annexation plans in southern Lebanon. In that exchange, he said Israel would find it difficult to claim Lebanese territory as its own, before turning to the Golan and referring to UN resolutions. His remarks quickly prompted criticism from pro-Israel voices, including commentator Laura Loomer and Republican Senator Rick Scott, who argued that he had strayed from Trump's policy line.

The reaction shows how closely the wording of US officials is scrutinised on territorial questions involving Israel and Syria. The dispute over the Golan has also remained part of wider international debate over recognition and sovereignty. The row has not changed the legal status of the territory, but it has reinforced the divide between US policy and the position held by most other states.

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