US envoy Tom Barrack retracts comment that Syria’s Golan is occupied

US Ambassador to Turkiye, Tom Barrack, has retracted a previous statement suggesting Syria's Golan Heights is occupied territory. Barrack clarified on Sunday that the United States policy, established by President Trump in 2019, recognizing Israel's claimed sovereignty over the Golan remains unchanged. This statement follows Barrack's earlier remarks in an interview where he appeared to acknowledge the territory as occupied Syrian land. Israel occupied the Golan in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981, a move not recognized by any country until the Trump administration. The US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan had previously drawn international criticism.

The US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey retracted his recent statement that Israel "still" occupies the Golan Heights in violation of UN resolutions. This retraction came after his initial remarks contradicted President Donald Trump's established position. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981, a move not recognized by the UN or most of the international community, which considers it occupied Syrian land. In 2019, President Trump reversed decades of US policy by recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the territory. The envoy's revised stance aligns with the current US administration's policy.

U.S. Special Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, walked back comments he made suggesting Israel "still" occupies the Golan Heights, a stance that contradicted President Trump's 2019 recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory. Barrack clarified that his remarks were a description of the historical status, not an endorsement of the UN's position. He reiterated that U.S. policy on the Golan remains unchanged. Barrack also defended his comments regarding negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, emphasizing that the U.S. does not negotiate with Hezbollah, but rather highlighted Iran's role in supplying weapons. These clarifications came after criticism from U.S. Senator Rick Scott and amid tensions between Israel and Turkey over recent Israeli strikes in Syria.