US Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack said his concern was not Israel but “a particular Druze sheikh,” whom he did not name. He accused the sheikh of exploiting perceived Israeli support and a degree of alignment with the United States to persecute other Druze.

Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a spiritual leader of the Druze community, leads an armed movement that exercises military control over Suwayda (southern Syria) and calls for Israeli support and independence from Syria.

In an interview with Mario Nawfal, an Australian interviewer of Arab descent, Barrack said the sheikh was giving people the impression that he had American support, adding that “this is completely wrong.”

In the interview, published on Friday, October 23, he said the “Druze,” referring to local factions in Suwayda, could arm themselves with money earned from the Captagon trade.

He said Captagon production was widespread between Suwayda and Daraa (southern Syria), accusing these factions of “making a living from manufacturing and selling illicit drugs.”

Expects an Understanding Between Syria and Israel

On relations between Syria and Israel, Barrack said he believed the two sides would reach an understanding, explaining that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had made clear his intention not to show hostility toward Israel.

“Al-Sharaa does not have Hezbollah, and he has not fired a single shot to attack Israel. He is telling Israel, ‘We do not want to attack.” he said.

Israel, however, distrusts the Syrian authorities because of the Syrian president’s jihadist background and the foreign fighters serving in Syrian army divisions, Barrack said.

He added that Israel needed space along its border following the events of October 7, known as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

US Mediation to Resolve the Suwayda Crisis

The United States has been mediating efforts to resolve the crisis in Suwayda governorate since the bloody events of July 2025. Those events included sectarian violence, with the government intervening in support of one side and Israel in support of the other.

The American mediation role became prominent through what became known as the Amman roadmap, with the signing of a trilateral agreement between Syria, the United States and Jordan, which hosted the talks.

In a post on X on September 5, Barrack said the roadmap represented the only way to resolve the crisis in Suwayda.

He added that it offered “a path toward the governorate’s dignified reintegration into Syria, with members of the Druze community enjoying the same full rights and responsibilities as any citizen of the country.”

The roadmap, signed on September 16, 2025, set out a series of urgent measures, most notably:

• The Syrian government would invite the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic to investigate the events in Suwayda, and all perpetrators of violations would be held accountable under Syrian law.
•  Humanitarian and medical aid deliveries to the governorate would continue in cooperation with the United Nations, and basic services would be restored with Jordanian and American support.
• Trained police forces would be deployed along the Suwayda-Damascus road to secure the movement of people and trade. Civilian fighters would withdraw from the governorate’s boundaries and be replaced by regular forces.
• Red Cross efforts to secure the release of all detainees and abductees and complete exchanges would receive support.
•  Jordan, in coordination with the Syrian government, would invite a delegation representing Suwayda’s local communities, including Druze, Christians and Sunnis, and another representing the governorate’s Bedouin tribes to meetings aimed at helping achieve reconciliation.
•  Plans would be announced to rebuild damaged villages and properties, with Jordanian and American assistance to secure the necessary funding.
•  A “national narrative” based on unity and equality would be promoted, and new legislation would criminalize hate speech and sectarian incitement, with legal support from Washington and Amman.