US envoy accuses Druze sheikh of using its backing to persecute other members of the community
US envoy accuses Druze sheikh of using its backing to persecute other members of the community Submitted by Reem Aouir on Sat, 10/24/2026 - 17:05 Tom Barrack says Sweida 'lives off' the captagon trade and that Israel and Syria 'will come to terms' US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, during a press conference following the Nato summit in Ankara on 8 July 2026 (Altan Gocher/Hans Lucas via Reuters…
US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, has accused a prominent Druze sheikh in southern Syria of using the perception of Israeli backing to persecute other members of the community. In an interview with commentator Mario Nawfal, Barrack made the remarks, emphasizing that his concern was not with Israel but with a particular Druze sheikh.
Barrack stated that the sheikh exploits the perception of Israeli support to target other Druze. The accusations come amid tensions surrounding Hikmat al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader in Sweida who has called for Israeli support and advocated for independence from Syria. Barrack also criticized the Druze community in Sweida, stating that the area is primarily funded by the illicit drug trade, known as captagon.
Syrian authorities have denied Barrack's allegations, calling them baseless and rejecting the claim that their community is a center for captagon production.
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