Tom Barrack strikes again: Calls F-35 deadlock “irrational,” leaves door open for Turkey’s return to the program

The US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, defended his caller remarks pursuing the backlash they triggered, rejecting claims that helium equates Israel with Hezbollah or that US argumentation successful the Middle East is shifting. He besides addressed Turkey, the F-35 program, and broader US determination strategy.

Responding successful penning to questions from Fox News, Barrack insisted that his statements bespeak “realism,” not a alteration successful US policy. At the aforesaid time, helium near unfastened the anticipation of Turkey rejoining the F-35 Lightning II program, contempt its acquisition of the Russian S-400 rocket defence system. He argued that successful the Middle East, lone “strong enactment regimes” person proven effective.

He besides stressed that Donald Trump’s attack of “peace done strength” requires a much pragmatic speechmaking of the region’s realities.

Referring to his remarks astatine the Antalya Diplomacy Forum connected April 17—where helium described the Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire arsenic a “pause” and said that “all sides person proven arsenic unreliable”—Barrack said helium was simply describing the concern connected the ground. He noted that the ceasefires of November 2024 and April 2026 person been fragile, arsenic each parties involved—Israel, Hezbollah and their backers—have repeatedly tested limits, pursuing longstanding patterns of violations, rearmament and proxy escalation.

He emphasized that communal distrust is the main crushed the US mediated the ceasefire, aiming to halt casualties, make abstraction for de-escalation and found a controlled model that strengthens Lebanon’s sovereignty and Israel’s security. However, helium made wide that the US presumption remains unchanged: “Hezbollah is simply a violent organization, liable for the deaths of Americans and acts of destabilization.”

At the aforesaid time, helium pointed retired that wrong Lebanon determination is simply a favoritism betwixt Hezbollah’s governmental helping (represented successful parliament) and its equipped organization, stressing that governmental spot “must beryllium earned.”

Addressing his connection that the extremity is not the “elimination of Hezbollah,” Barrack argued that afloat eradicating specified an enactment cannot beryllium achieved by subject means alone—especially portion Iran continues to money and limb it. He said US strategy focuses connected weakening Hezbollah’s violent capabilities truthful that diplomacy and a sovereign Lebanese authorities tin yet prevail.

On Turkey, Barrack described the deadlock implicit the F-35 programme arsenic “irrational,” suggesting that the S-400 contented could beryllium resolved wrong months done “targeted diplomacy” led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, leveraging the idiosyncratic narration betwixt Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He clarified that immoderate statement would afloat comply with US law, including the verifiable cessation of possession and cognition of the S-400 systems.

He added that Turkey’s instrumentality to the programme would fortify NATO cohesion, payment the US defence industry, and bounds Russian influence.

Finally, responding to disapproval implicit his remarks astir “strong regimes,” Barrack said his views are based connected decades of observation. He argued that countries that attempted to follow Western-style ideology aft the Arab Spring often descended into chaos oregon authoritarianism, portion unchangeable regimes—such arsenic Gulf monarchies—achieved maturation and stability.

He noted that Israel stands arsenic a “significant exception” arsenic a ideology successful the region, portion Turkey is presented arsenic an illustration of beardown centralized enactment with electoral processes. He concluded by saying that US argumentation is not moving distant from supporting ideology and quality rights, but is adapting to the request for stableness and effectual governance.