US envoy Tom Barrack says Iraq offers bridge over US and Iran conflict

Washington's pointman says Iraq must attract investors to build oil pipelines

Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Iraq and Syria, has said Baghdad can act as a bridge that overcomes Washington's blockade on Iran.

"You don't have to be an adversary to Iran," he told an audience at the Chatham House Iraq Initiative. "You can be the magic key that opens the door."

Mr Barrack, who is also Donald Trump's ambassador to Turkey, said Iraq should set a target of 10m barrels per day of oil output and seek foreign investors to back the pipelines that would carry it to customers. While he said the country would continue to use the Strait of Hormuz for its product, the addition of pipelines would provide the prosperity that is the only answer to its challenges.

"The Straits of Hormuz is great and that affords the ability to adapt quickly and everybody loves it pricing-wise," he said, as he talked about the fallout for the region since the war on Iran began in February. "You need all of the delivery mechanisms. You need the Straits, you need the ships, but you absolutely need [outlets]for the rest of that six or seven million barrels.

"Business leads the way, and we've got some of the greatest business leaders here. You have American companies, you have French companies, you have Italian companies, you have Middle East companies - all willing to help."

He spoke of a "bottom line" where Iraq could leverage its unique assets, including geography, history and reserves but needed the rules to reassure investors.

"Who is going to invest if they don't have a definable, understandable rule of law?" he asked. "To me, the biggest impediment is not other countries; it’s your own country.”

Updated:

November 11, 2026, 11:07 AM