{"id":38912,"date":"2025-07-20T11:35:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T11:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/?p=38912"},"modified":"2025-07-20T11:35:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T11:35:25","slug":"from-sykes-picot-to-the-new-middle-east-will-regional-borders-hold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/20\/07\/2025\/from-sykes-picot-to-the-new-middle-east-will-regional-borders-hold\/","title":{"rendered":"From Sykes\u2013Picot to the \u2018New Middle East\u2019: Will Regional Borders Hold?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As part of a series of often controversial remarks since his appointment as the U.S. envoy to Syria, Ambassador Thomas Barrack, currently based in Turkey, made notable statements in late May regarding the 1916 Sykes\u2013Picot Agreement. He referenced the historic deal that helped shape the modern-day borders of the Middle East, especially amid ongoing discussions of a so-called &#8220;New Middle East,&#8221; a concept the U.S. has promoted, and which Israel has echoed frequently since the Abraham Accords were signed with several Arab countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>What Was the Sykes\u2013Picot Agreement?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sykes\u2013Picot Agreement was a secret deal between Britain and France, signed in 1916 during World War I. It was negotiated by British diplomat Mark Sykes and French diplomat Fran\u00e7ois Georges-Picot. The agreement, later approved by the foreign ministries of Britain, France, Russia, and Italy, outlined the division of the defeated Ottoman Empire&#8217;s territories in the Levant and Mesopotamia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under this agreement:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Northern Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon were placed under French influence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Southern Iraq, Jordan, and the Palestinian ports of Haifa and Acre were placed under British control.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Italy was promised parts of eastern Anatolia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Russia was to receive Armenia and control over the Turkish straits.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These arrangements laid the groundwork for the modern borders of several Middle Eastern states including Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Read also: <a href=\"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/20\/07\/2025\/syria-and-israel-hold-secret-talks-amid-shifting-regional-alliances\/#\">Syria and Israel Hold Secret Talks Amid Shifting Regional Alliances<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Regional Solutions and the \u2018Era of Investment\u2019<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/USAMBTurkiye\/status\/1926667533102301388\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">post<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on X (formerly Twitter) in May, Ambassador Barrack asserted that the era of Western-imposed borders and mandates in the Middle East was over. \u201cA century ago, the West imposed maps, mandates, penciled borders, and foreign rule,\u201d he wrote. \u201cSykes-Picot divided Syria and the broader region for imperial gain\u2014not peace. That mistake cost generations. We will not make it again.\u00a0The era of Western interference is over. The future belongs to regional solutions, but partnerships, and a diplomacy grounded in respect.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He added that as President Donald Trump reiterated on May 13, \u201cGone are the days when Western interventionalists would fly to the Middle East to give lectures on how to live, and how to govern your own affairs.\u201d Barak emphasized that Syria\u2019s tragedy was born of fragmentation, and that its renewal must come from dignity, unity, and investment in its people. \u201cThat starts with truth, accountability\u2014and working with the region, not around it. We are standing with T\u00fcrkiye, the Gulf, and Europe\u2014this time not with troops and lectures, or imaginary boundaries, but shoulder-to-shoulder with the Syrian people themselves\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent military events in Syria&#8217;s southern Suwayda (Sweida) province reignited debate over redrawn borders. Direct Israeli airstrikes targeted Syria\u2019s Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior forces, as well as the General Staff building and the Presidential Palace in Damascus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These attacks, amid declining Iranian and Hezbollah influence in Syria following the events of October 7, have revived speculation about possible Israeli plans to reshape the region politically, militarily; or even geographically. This comes despite confirmed reports of ongoing direct talks between Syria and Israel, mediated by the U.S. and facilitated by the UAE, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>A New Middle East<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Barrack emphasized that there would be \u201cno new Sykes\u2013Picot,\u201d he repeated the broader U.S. vision for a \u201cNew Middle East\u201d, a vision focused on development, regional alliances, and economic investment involving Israel, a reformed Syria, Turkey, and the Gulf states. However, the specific shape and feasibility of this vision remain unclear, particularly since it appears tied to normalization between Israel and more Arab states, including Syria and Lebanon, under the umbrella of the Abraham Accords.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Syrian political analyst Samer Khilewi, based in London, believes that Barak\u2019s comments reflect the current political mood but may not necessarily translate into action. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen many statements throughout history that simply set the stage for future developments,\u201d he told <\/span><b>+963<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201cThe Sykes\u2013Picot era cannot be compared to the present.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Read also: <a href=\"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/14\/07\/2025\/is-the-syria-saudi-s-s-equation-making-a-comeback-in-lebanon\/#\">Is the Syria\u2013Saudi \u2018S\u2013S Equation\u2019 Making a Comeback in Lebanon?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Khilewi notes that while the Sykes\u2013Picot Agreement shaped the modern Arab world, any forthcoming transformation in the Middle East is more likely to be political, not territorial. \u201cWe\u2019re entering a new phase, not marked by border changes, but by new political alignments, especially after the dismantling of what was known as the &#8216;Axis of Resistance&#8217;. The U.S.\u2013Israel alliance will likely impose new realities that no one can effectively oppose, especially in a region where national interests often override collective ones.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lebanese journalist and political writer Saad Kiwan, based in Beirut, argues that Barrack\u2019s statements reflect a uniquely American tendency to approach regional crises with a blend of ambition and unrealistic expectations. \u201cBarrack seems to be forecasting developments that remain outside his control, or even verge on fantasy, characteristic of the American administration under President Trump, which approaches foreign policy like a real estate deal,\u201d Kiwan told <\/span><b>+963<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He added that Barrack\u2019s ideas about geographical and geopolitical transformation are detached from reality: \u201cWe are witnessing political, not territorial, change. Syria, for instance, has experienced not only a regime collapse but also a total reversal in political direction. That\u2019s the real transformation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite Washington\u2019s repeated assurances that no new borders will be drawn, Ambassador Barrack himself recently warned in an interview with <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The National<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that Lebanon faces an \u201cexistential threat.\u201d He warned that unless decisive action is taken, particularly regarding Hezbollah\u2019s weapons stockpiles, Lebanon risks being reintegrated into \u201cGreater Syria\u201d or falling under broader regional control.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn\u2019t move, it\u2019s going to be Bilad Al Sham (a historical region encompassing modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and parts of southern Turkey) again,\u201d\u00a0Barrack said. \u201cSyrians say Lebanon is our beach resort. So we need to move. And I know how frustrated the Lebanese people are. It frustrates me.\u201d<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>A Region Built on Alliances, Not Armies<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kiwan contends that any shifts in the region will stem from enforced policy changes, particularly in places like Iran and Gaza, driven by U.S. strategy and technological superiority. \u201cThere\u2019s a clear push toward a regional order built around strategic alliances with the U.S., but with a degree of autonomy. Development and technology will shape roles and influence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regarding Barrack\u2019s remarks about Lebanon being absorbed back into Syria, Kiwan sees it as both \u201ca provocation and a warning.\u201d He suggests Barrack realized during visits to Lebanon that the government lacks the capacity or will to disarm Hezbollah. \u201cAfter being struck by the U.S., Iran is wounded but still clings to its regional proxies to show it remains a player.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Read also: <a href=\"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/13\/07\/2025\/how-do-us-israeli-and-emirati-interests-intersect-in-syria-and-lebanon\/#\">How Do US, Israeli, and Emirati Interests Intersect in Syria and Lebanon?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Khilwi adds that Israel stands to gain the most from the region\u2019s next chapter, \u201cnot as praise, but as a hard truth.\u201d He says Israel is maximizing its military and political leverage, whether through direct or covert interventions, to shape its vision of the region. \u201cRecent developments in Turkey regarding the Kurds, and upcoming changes in Syria, could usher in regional stability, but that\u2019s not necessarily in Israel\u2019s interest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kiwan concludes, \u201cWe are entering a new Middle East. The change will be political and will include Israel. This is what President Trump is working toward, uniting Gulf ties with Israel, despite Netanyahu\u2019s resistance. Normalization is advancing in parallel, even involving groups like the PKK in Turkey. Nationalist regimes, especially Iran, Syria, and Iraq, must now adapt to the new rules.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s worth noting that with the fall of Bashar al-Assad\u2019s regime in Syria in early December, Israel launched a series of military operations and ground incursions. Israeli officials began openly discussing the possibility of dividing Syria into separate states, provinces, or autonomous zones, arguing that it was necessary for national security. Among the proposals was the so-called \u201cDavid Corridor,\u201d a route stretching from northern Iraq through southern Syria and northern Jordan to Israel. This comes despite U.S., Turkish, and other allied opposition to any changes in the region\u2019s territorial boundaries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As part of a series of often controversial remarks since his appointment as the U.S. envoy to Syria, Ambassador Thomas Barrack, currently based in Turkey, made notable statements in late May regarding the 1916 Sykes\u2013Picot Agreement. He referenced the historic deal that helped shape the modern-day borders of the Middle East, especially amid ongoing discussions [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":38913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"0","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"left-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"float","share_float_style":"share-normal","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"g:i a d\/m\/Y","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"1","zoom_button_out_step":"5","zoom_button_in_step":"4","show_post_tag":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_post_related":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":"U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack declared that There will be no new Sykes\u2013Picot in the region."},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":""},"categories":[382,19],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[400],"class_list":["post-38912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions","category-slider"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>From Sykes\u2013Picot to the \u2018New Middle East\u2019: Will Regional Borders Hold? 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