US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said Thursday Washington does not intend to remain the “sole guarantor of security” in the Middle East, calling for greater regional participation in shaping the region’s future security arrangements.
“The Ottoman Empire was a security guarantor; it left. The Brits came in; they were the security guarantor; they left,” Barrack said, speaking at the Global Perspectives event in Doha, hosted by the CNN.
“We’re here. We’re not leaving. We’re just saying we’re not going to own it anymore. We need participation from the region, and the president is doing it,” he told the CNN’s Becky Anderson
U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack: The Ottoman Empire was a security guarantor; it left. The Brits came in; they were the security guarantor; they left. We’re here. We’re not leaving. We’re just saying we’re not going to own it anymore. We need participation from the region, and the president is doing it.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 29, 2026
“The region is saying: America, you’re eventually going to go home and we’re going to be left with Iran, this wounded lion.”
▶️US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack: "The region is saying: America, you’re eventually going to go home and we’re going to be left with Iran, this wounded lion." Follow: https://t.co/Ez42KDdHXv https://t.co/jtpjqDj1bI
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) October 30, 2026
Barrack also pointed to diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, crediting Qatar, Pakistan and other regional allies with helping bring the two sides closer to an agreement on a de-escalation process.
He urged both sides to halt hostilities and lower tensions, saying: “Let’s have a time out. Let’s have a time out, bring temperatures down.”
“I think we’re very close to finally getting to a place where we can say: let’s just have a time out,” he added.
The US diplomat stressed that an immediate pause would not amount to a comprehensive settlement, but would allow regional countries to chart their own course towards a broader agreement.
“We’re not going to have an overall solution immediately, but we can allow the region to find its own pace,” Barrack said, expressing hope that significant progress could be made in the coming two weeks.
Source: Al-Manar English Website