Trump Dismisses His Envoy to Iraq

According to Rokna, quoting Reuters, informed sources said Mark Savia, who had been appointed in October by U.S. President Donald Trump as Special Envoy for Iraq, is no longer serving in that role.

This move comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Baghdad over U.S. efforts to curb Iran’s alleged influence in Iraqi politics.

Savia, an Iraqi-American Christian entrepreneur, was among the few Arab Americans appointed by Trump to senior positions. Trump had actively campaigned during the 2024 presidential election to win the votes of Arabs and Muslims in Detroit and across the country.

It remains unclear what issue led to Savia’s departure or whether a replacement will be appointed.

One source cited Savia’s “mismanagement” in key situations, including his failure to prevent the nomination of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as the country’s next prime minister—an action against which Trump had openly warned Baghdad.

According to this source and a senior Iraqi official, it is believed that Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, who traveled earlier this week to Erbil to meet with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, may assume responsibility for Iraq affairs.

In a phone call with Reuters on Thursday, Savia denied any change in his role, saying he was still working on the administrative procedures required to formally assume the position. He added that he expected the process to be completed soon.

Savia’s account on the social media platform X, which had been active until recently, has been inaccessible since Thursday.

Savia runs a marijuana business in Detroit—where its sale is legal in some parts of the United States—and had close ties to Trump. His appointment as Iraq envoy was considered surprising, as he had no prior diplomatic experience.

Two sources said that since his appointment, Savia had not officially traveled to Iraq. Two Iraqi officials stated that Savia was scheduled to visit Iraq last Friday and meet with senior officials, but abruptly canceled the trip and the planned meetings.

This personnel change comes days after Trump warned Iraq that Washington would no longer assist the major oil-producing country and close U.S. ally if it once again selected Maliki as prime minister.

Maliki, who has been accused by the United States of fueling sectarian divisions and allowing the rise of ISIS during his tenure, was selected for the post a few days ago by Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc.