Joel Rayburn

Joel Rayburn is a former U.S. diplomat and military officer who served as the Special Envoy for Syria during the Trump administration, where he focused on U.S. policy towards the Syrian conflict and efforts to counter the influence of the Assad regime. Recently, he was in the news due to his nomination to head the Middle East portfolio for the State Department, where he expressed skepticism regarding the new Syrian leadership under Ahmed al-Sharaa, referencing his past as a jihadist and the complexities of U.S. engagement with Syria.