President Nechirvan Barzani’s diplomacy could shape Syria’s future

Shafaq News– Erbil

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq could be pivotal in stabilizing northeastern Syria and protecting US energy interests, with President Nechirvan Barzani emerging as a key regional interlocutor, The National Interest reported.

The magazine said Barzani’s quiet diplomacy positions him to defuse tensions, promote dialogue and contain instability in Kurdish-held areas of Syria, as Damascus under transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa moves to reassert central authority, leaving Syrian Kurds uncertain about future political and security arrangements.

Any durable settlement, the report added, would need to ensure that northeastern Syria’s oil, gas, and agricultural resources are managed in ways that limit militarization, support recovery, and safeguard energy corridors vital to the United States and its allies. Prolonged instability, it warned, could disrupt regional energy routes, deter private investment, and weaken Western energy security.

Barzani’s ties with Turkiye, Gulf states, Europe, Washington, and Baghdad bolster his credibility as a mediator in this effort, the magazine noted, arguing that deeper US engagement with trusted regional partners like the Kurdish president could help advance stability in Syria, strengthen energy security, and gradually reduce Washington’s reliance on military involvement through pragmatic, locally rooted diplomacy.

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