US Leaving Oil-for-Security Approach, Not Middle East: Envoy Tom Barrack
Barrack said Washington wants regional governments to take more responsibility as Iran’s seven-day proposal to end the war remains under consideration.
- US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack announced at Tuesday's Global Security Forum in Doha that the United States is "transitioning" away from its traditional security-for-oil relationship and no longer seeks to dominate the Middle East.
- Barrack argued that past U.S. interventions involving 23 regime changes were a "mistake," describing the current shift as a "realignment" rather than abandonment, comparable to "raising a teenager."
- While the U.S. will provide logistical support to Saudi Arabia, Barrack emphasized it is "not America's job" to resolve threats from militias in Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq, urging regional governments to assume responsibility.
- Regional leaders are increasingly acknowledging the limits of U.S. involvement, accepting they cannot rely on America to solve all their problems as they establish independent regional alliances.
- Despite the policy shift, the region faces heightened volatility, including ongoing Houthi strikes on Saudi infrastructure, while leaders in Qatar and Egypt warn the Middle East remains on the cusp of a new conflict involving Iran.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Shifting role of US in Middle East is like ‘raising a teenager’, ambassador says
Shifting role of US in Middle East is like ‘raising a teenager’, ambassador says Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 10/20/2026 - 18:59 Washington's role as world guarantor for eight decades 'is no longer there', Tom Barrack says during Qatar's security forum US special envoy for Syria and US ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack speaks during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey, on 17 April 2026 (Antalya Diplomacy Forum/AFP) Off The US no…
️️ Trump Ambassador Tom Barrack bluntly warned Gulf allies that Washington can no longer guarantee their security indefinitely
He told regional officials in Doha that they must take responsibility for their own defense, signaling that the US "security umbrella" in the Middle East will soon expire.Barrack said the 80-year-old "security for oil" agreement is no longer...
The US special envoy to the Middle East, Tom Barrack, called on countries in the Middle East to focus on ensuring their defense through regional cooperation. “The US has changed,” he told them. The post Middle East: Trump’s envoy told allies that the US will no longer protect them appeared first on in.gr.
Amb. Tom Barrack: It’s ‘not America’s job’ to combat Iran-backed threats in the Middle East
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said Tuesday that it is “not America’s job” to resolve the threats posed by Iranian-backed terror groups and militias across the Middle East, arguing that regional governments must take greater responsibility for their own security rather than relying on U.S. military intervention. Speaking with Al Jazeera diplomatic editor James...
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