WASHINGTON — Mark Savaya is no longer serving as the U.S. special envoy for Iraq, sources familiar with the decision said Sunday, leaving the administration without a named point person as it presses Baghdad to curb Iranian influence. One source cited Savaya’s “mishandling” of key situations, and two Iraqi officials said he abruptly canceled a planned visit to Iraq, Feb. 1, 2026.
The White House declined to comment on Savaya’s status or whether a replacement will be named. The State Department referred questions to the White House, the sources said.
Mark Savaya exit leaves Iraq portfolio in flux
A person familiar with the matter and a senior Iraqi official said Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, is expected to take on the Iraq portfolio for now. A spokesperson for Barrack declined to comment.
Savaya told reporters this week that he was still working through administrative steps tied to the appointment, but one source said he never became a State Department employee. The source said Mark Savaya had not made an official trip to Iraq since being named, and the two Iraqi officials said the canceled visit would have included meetings with senior political leaders.
The leadership change comes as Washington and Baghdad spar over the influence of Iran-aligned factions inside Iraq’s security and political system. Trump has sought to tighten U.S. leverage while Iraqi parties negotiate a new governing coalition after recent elections.
Trump sharpened that message days earlier, warning Iraqi leaders against choosing former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki again. “I’m hearing that the Great Country of Iraq might make a very bad choice,” Trump wrote, referring to al-Maliki, according to AP’s account of the president’s remarks and the Baghdad maneuvering.
Mark Savaya role was unconventional from the start
Trump announced Mark Savaya’s selection in October 2025, drawing attention in Michigan because he ran a cannabis business in the Detroit area and was a prominent supporter of the president’s campaign. In the days after the announcement, Mark Savaya told followers he was “deeply humbled, honored and grateful” for the role.
Earlier coverage captured the unusual appointment and the expectations it created. In October, Axios reported on the surprise pick, and Michigan Public detailed Savaya’s Michigan business ties and local reaction. A December policy analysis from Arab Center Washington DC argued that any envoy would need tact as U.S. pressure on militia-linked actors risked inflaming Iraqi politics.
The move was first reported by Reuters, which cited U.S. and Iraqi officials familiar with the change. For broader background on U.S.-Iraq diplomatic ties, the State Department’s Office of the Historian country guide outlines key milestones in the relationship.
For now, U.S. officials have not publicly identified a successor, and it remains unclear whether the envoy post will be filled quickly or folded into the State Department’s existing Iraq team.
