SAEDNEWS: Amid the diplomatic tussle between Washington and Baghdad, Reuters reported that Trump abruptly dismissed a special envoy to Iraq just months after their appointment.
According to the political news service of SaedNews, Reuters, citing informed sources, reported that Mark Sawaya, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Iraq, who was appointed last October, is no longer in the role. The change appears to come amid rising tensions between Washington and Baghdad, driven by U.S. efforts to curb Iran’s influence in Iraqi politics.
Sawaya, a Christian Iraqi-American businessman, was one of the few Arab-American figures appointed by Trump to senior positions. During the 2024 presidential election, he ran an active campaign to win Arab and Muslim votes in Detroit and across the country. Reuters noted that the reasons for Sawaya’s departure, and whether a replacement will be appointed, remain unclear.
One source suggested that Sawaya’s “mismanagement” in key positions—including failing to prevent former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from being nominated for a future premiership—was a factor in the decision. Trump had previously publicly warned Iraq against this move.
According to the same source and a senior Iraqi official, it is likely that Tom Barrett, U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, who recently visited Erbil to meet with the Syrian Democratic Forces, will assume responsibility for Iraq at the State Department. A spokesperson for Barrett declined to comment on the matter.
The report states that the U.S. State Department has referred questions regarding Sawaya’s dismissal to the White House, which has also declined to comment on his status or potential replacement. In a Thursday interview with Reuters, Sawaya denied any change in his position, stating that he was still completing the administrative steps necessary for formally assuming the post and expected the process to conclude soon. However, as of Thursday, Sawaya’s account on X (formerly Twitter) has been deactivated, despite being active until recently.
The report adds: “He has not responded to messages sent to him on Friday and Saturday, nor has he explained whether he still holds his position or why his X account was closed. Sawaya’s appointment as envoy, despite running a cannabis-related business in Detroit and having close ties to Trump, was seen as unexpected given his lack of diplomatic experience. Two sources noted that since his appointment, he has not made any official trips to Iraq. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also reported that two Iraqi officials said Sawaya had been scheduled to travel to Iraq last Friday to meet senior officials but suddenly canceled the meetings.
This development comes days after Trump publicly warned Baghdad that Washington would offer no support if al-Maliki were re-elected as prime minister. Nouri al-Maliki, whom the U.S. considers responsible for fueling sectarian tensions and creating conditions for the rise of ISIS during his premiership, was recently nominated for the position by Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc. Trump’s recent remarks are the clearest sign of his efforts to limit the influence of Iran-linked groups in Iraq, a country trying to balance its relations with its two main allies, Washington and Tehran.
