U.S. diplomats on Syria abruptly let go amid pro-Damascus policy push

18/9/2025 17:19

Some of the most senior U.S. diplomats focused on Syria have been abruptly let go from their posts in recent days, according to five people familiar with the matter, a shake-up that comes as Washington seeks to integrate its Syrian Kurdish allies with the central administration in Damascus.



The diplomats at the Syria Regional Platform (SRP) - the de facto U.S. mission to the country based remotely in Istanbul - all reported to Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy for Syria and a longtime adviser and friend of President Donald Trump.



Appointed in May, Barrack has spearheaded a regional policy shift that backs a unified Syrian state under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Islamist leader who swept to power in a lightning advance late last year.



One of the people who spoke to Reuters, a U.S. diplomatic source, said "a handful" of staff at the SRP were told their tours were ending as part of a reorganisation of the team.



The person said the departures would not affect U.S. policy in Syria, and the decision to remove them was not based on policy differences between the staff and Barrack or the White House.