In a wide-ranging interview with Hadley Gamble for The National, American envoy Tom Barrack offered a candid assessment of the Middle East, warning that the conflict between Iran and Israel is far from over and highlighting Tehran’s determination to keep its influence alive.
Barrack emphasized that Iran will not easily release its grip on Iraq. Despite being pushed back on multiple fronts — from Hezbollah to Hamas to the Houthis, and even suffering direct strikes inside its own territory — Tehran remains committed to holding onto Baghdad as a strategic anchor.
He noted that Iraq has an “excellent prime minister,” but one who is effectively powerless, blocked by Iranian-backed Al-Hashd al-Shaabi militias that obstruct his ability to form a functioning coalition.
Barrack also pushed back against Arab conspiracy theories such as “Greater Israel,” saying he does not believe in these narratives and that they distract from the real geopolitical dynamics of the region.