As tensions continue to simmer in the Middle East and the ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile, the goals of the United States in the region were made clear by US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, in a recent interview. Steve Bishop assesses the implications of the Ambassador’s comments.
Speaking at the Middle East and Africa summit in December 2025 Ambassador Tom Barrack gave a wide ranging interview on the current state of political relationships in the Middle East, the role of the United States in addressing some of the key issues and the role that Turkey has played, and may continue to play, in the reshaping of the region.
It is clear from the Ambassador’s comments that the US sees Turkey as the key strategic ally, alongside Israel, in the region. Described as an ‘indispensable anchor’ in the region the Ambassador emphasised the significance of Turkey as being “our largest NATO ally” and stressed that the US sees “at some point in time Turkey and Israel finding a relationship”. This is in spite of the differences between the two countries over the approach to Gaza and the question of a Palestinian state, which Israel continues to oppose in defiance of international law.
Ambassador Barrack is confident that the US approach of increasing investment in the region, effectively opening the region up to greater US capital, will bring both peace and prosperity. While this approach may benefit the profit margins of US companies, and line the pockets of the some of the existing dictators in the region, the chances of ordinary people benefiting significantly are slim.
The 20 point plan for Gaza, as outlined by US President Donald Trump, is given great credit by the Ambassador and Turkey is seen as being key to ‘softening’ Arab opinion about the shortcomings of the plan, not least the lack of commitment to a Palestinian state. In particular the Ambassador sees Turkey as being crucial to the disarming of Hamas, stating, “Turkey who has a relationship and an Islamic foothold will soften whatever has to be done in this disarming Hamas”.
In relation to the relationship of Turkey to Russia, the US is clearly set upon severing connections between the two as far as possible. This includes the phasing out of Russian weapons systems which Turkey currently possesses, as well as ending Turkey’s reliance on Russian oil. Inevitably, the alternative is to import greater quantities of US liquefied natural gas (LNG), once again increasing the reliance of Turkey upon the West in general and US in particular. As Ambassador Barrack states, “the oil minister in Turkey has made LNG contracts for about 45 or 50% of the supply going to 2030 with the US”, a clear indication of the increasing dependency which the US is seeking to encourage.
The US plan for Syria is also made clear in the interview, with the Ambassador pointing out that current oil production is at 65,000 barrels and day but with US investment this could increase to 500,000 barrels a day, stating clearly that in his view “when we think about it American investment can help everything.”
Barrack sees the Caesar Act, which imposed sanctions upon the Assad regime in order to facilitate US backed regime change, being repealed in the coming year in order to allow US investment to pour into Syria, in order to consolidate the foothold the US already has in that country.
The attack upon Iran by Israel, which the United States both backed and joined, is seen by the Ambassador as a warning signal, that if a negotiated settlement cannot be reached the US will effectively cut off the Iranian regime from any investment ‘opportunities’ and be isolated in the region. While the comments of the Ambassador do not suggest a further military intervention, the comments of President Trump and the signals from Washington are that such action is clearly still a possibility.
It is certainly evident from the interview that the US sees both Turkey and Israel as its key policemen in the region, playing an enforcement role on the ground while the region is opened up further for US capital exploitation.
For all the talk of the Trump administration being isolationist in its foreign policy it is clear that US imperialism is alive and kicking under President Donald Trump. The kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife, the threats to annex Greenland, the ongoing 60 year long illegal embargo against Cuba and plans to open up the Middle East to US capital, are all evidence of ongoing imperialist ambition on the part of the United States.
The response of the people of the countries and regions that the US seeks to control may be another matter. Demonstrations in Iran have shown staunch opposition to both the theocratic dictatorship and outside interference. Rallies in Venezuela and Cuba have shown massive popular support for the people to determine their own path without external intervention.
Solidarity with the people’s of developing nations and the Global South has been a mainstay of Liberation’s work for many decades. It will be essential to sustain that solidarity over the coming years as the US and its allies continue to flex their military and economic muscle across the globe.
The views expressed in the articles published on this website do not necessarily represent those of Liberation
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Image: Public Domain, US State Department
