US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack stressed the importance of lifting sanctions imposed on Syria, saying that Lebanon now has an opportunity to disarm Hezbollah and engage in the regional peace process.
In a post published on his X platform, titled “Syria and Lebanon Are the Next Pieces for Levant Peace,” Barrack described October 13, 2025, as “a defining moment in modern Middle Eastern diplomacy.” He noted that leaders who met in Sharm el-Sheikh “did more than celebrate the release of hostages and a ceasefire, they endorsed President Donald J. Trump’s bold twenty-point vision for renewal, reconstruction, and shared prosperity across the region.”
He wrote that an era “of fear and stagnation” has begun to give way to “purpose and optimism,” uniting Arab, Muslim, and Western nations “to replace paralysis with progress and isolation with inclusion.” Barrack added that the consensus forged around Gaza “must now extend northward to include Syria and Lebanon, the next pieces in the architecture of regional peace.”
Barrack urged the US House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, saying it “served its moral purpose against the previous Assad regime but now suffocates a nation seeking to rebuild.”
He praised President Trump’s June 30, 2025, executive order lifting most Syria sanctions as a pivot “from coercion to cooperation,” arguing that repeal “is not charity; it is strategy,” unlocking investments to rebuild Syria’s power grids, schools, and hospitals.
“Syria after December 8, 2024, with the inauguration of a new government, is no longer the Syria of 2019,” he wrote, highlighting renewed ties with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Europe, and “border discussions with Israel.”
He emphasized that “the Caesar Act achieved its purpose. Now, as the President has urged, it is time to give Syria a chance.”
Barrack described the disarmament of Hezbollah as the second step toward stabilizing Israel’s northern frontier, calling it both “Israel’s security imperative and Lebanon’s opportunity for renewal.”
He criticized the paralysis of Lebanon’s political institutions and warned that continued hesitation could prompt unilateral Israeli action with grave consequences.
Referencing Washington’s “One More Try” plan, a framework for phased disarmament and economic incentives under U.S., French, and UN supervision, Barrack said Beirut’s refusal to adopt the plan left it “trapped in sectarian paralysis.”
He warned that if Hezbollah came under Israeli attack, it might seek to postpone Lebanon’s May 2026 elections, risking national unrest and deepening sectarian rifts.
Barrack linked Syria’s stabilization and Lebanon’s choices to Trump’s 20-Point Plan and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, asserting that “Iran stands terminally weakened” while “Saudi Arabia is on the verge of formal accession.”
He said peace is “a process rather than an event” and urged Lebanon to align itself “with the anti-terrorist rhythm of its region.”
Barrack concluded by announcing that President Trump’s newly appointed Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, will arrive in Beirut next month “to help Lebanon steer a steady course through these complex issues.”
In a post published on his X platform, titled “Syria and Lebanon Are the Next Pieces for Levant Peace,” Barrack described October 13, 2025, as “a defining moment in modern Middle Eastern diplomacy.” He noted that leaders who met in Sharm el-Sheikh “did more than celebrate the release of hostages and a ceasefire, they endorsed President Donald J. Trump’s bold twenty-point vision for renewal, reconstruction, and shared prosperity across the region.”
He wrote that an era “of fear and stagnation” has begun to give way to “purpose and optimism,” uniting Arab, Muslim, and Western nations “to replace paralysis with progress and isolation with inclusion.” Barrack added that the consensus forged around Gaza “must now extend northward to include Syria and Lebanon, the next pieces in the architecture of regional peace.”
Barrack urged the US House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, saying it “served its moral purpose against the previous Assad regime but now suffocates a nation seeking to rebuild.”
He praised President Trump’s June 30, 2025, executive order lifting most Syria sanctions as a pivot “from coercion to cooperation,” arguing that repeal “is not charity; it is strategy,” unlocking investments to rebuild Syria’s power grids, schools, and hospitals.
“Syria after December 8, 2024, with the inauguration of a new government, is no longer the Syria of 2019,” he wrote, highlighting renewed ties with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Europe, and “border discussions with Israel.”
He emphasized that “the Caesar Act achieved its purpose. Now, as the President has urged, it is time to give Syria a chance.”
Barrack described the disarmament of Hezbollah as the second step toward stabilizing Israel’s northern frontier, calling it both “Israel’s security imperative and Lebanon’s opportunity for renewal.”
He criticized the paralysis of Lebanon’s political institutions and warned that continued hesitation could prompt unilateral Israeli action with grave consequences.
Referencing Washington’s “One More Try” plan, a framework for phased disarmament and economic incentives under U.S., French, and UN supervision, Barrack said Beirut’s refusal to adopt the plan left it “trapped in sectarian paralysis.”
He warned that if Hezbollah came under Israeli attack, it might seek to postpone Lebanon’s May 2026 elections, risking national unrest and deepening sectarian rifts.
Barrack linked Syria’s stabilization and Lebanon’s choices to Trump’s 20-Point Plan and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, asserting that “Iran stands terminally weakened” while “Saudi Arabia is on the verge of formal accession.”
He said peace is “a process rather than an event” and urged Lebanon to align itself “with the anti-terrorist rhythm of its region.”
Barrack concluded by announcing that President Trump’s newly appointed Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, will arrive in Beirut next month “to help Lebanon steer a steady course through these complex issues.”
