Ilhan Omar: U.S. Strategy in Syria Taking ‘Cues’ from Russia, Turkey, Israel

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy to resolve the Syrian conflict is taking “cues” from Russia, Turkey, and Israel, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) argued during a House panel hearing Wednesday without acknowledging that the three countries stand on opposing sides of the more than eight-year-old war.

During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Omar told Ambassador James Jeffrey, the president’s special envoy for Syria engagement who was invited to testify:

It seems that the particular conflict in Syria is being birthed out of a need for the people to have freedom and to actualize democracy and I’m concerned that most of our cues right now [are] being taken from Russia, and Turkey, and Israel, and so I’m wondering if that’s sort of a counter message to what we say we are interested in achieving in Syria.

Jeffrey responded by saying the United Nations, backed by the United States, is committed to giving the Syrian people democracy “through free and fair elections monitored by the U.N., including the diaspora.”

“I believe Democracy should not be given, it should be earned by the people, and we should be in partnership with them,” the Minnesota Democrat followed up.

Omar suggested that Russia, Turkey, and Israel are influencing Trump’s Syrian strategy even though these countries do not coincide in their strategy with each other, making it impossible to appease all three.

Sean Strickland removed from UFC White House event by Secret Service

Eric Trump denies asking former UFC star if White House fights were rigged

Trump arrives for UFC fight

Congressional baseball game offers longstanding traditions, and plenty of confusion

11 skydivers, one pilot killed in Missouri plane crash near airport

Sen Mitch McConnell hospitalized, ‘receiving excellent care,’ his office says

Republican leaders embrace viral World Cup fans they say are discovering the ‘real America’

Gabbard says declassified biolab records validate concerns previously dismissed as misinformation

Trump marks 80th birthday, now second octogenarian sitting president: ‘Seemed to utterly defy age’

Another One: German Woman Beheaded, Homeless African Male Arrested for Murder Earlier in 2026

Is AI Making Your Kids Dumber? Over Half of Teachers Surveyed Say It May Be

Spy Agencies Have Exploded in Size – Trump’s Intel Chiefs Are the First to Downsize

Evil Among Us: Black Magic Suspected After Cameras Capture Goat Being Dragged Into Office Building, Then More Chilling Pics Found Online

From Wasserman Schultz to Goldman, Democratic incumbents are fighting for survival

WATCH: Chinese Clown Robot Nails Innocent Child – Some Say Video Is Sign of Dystopian Nightmare

Russia supports the Iranian-allied regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey backs the opposition. Although Moscow and Ankara have embarked on joint efforts to end the conflict, Turkey remains resolute in its support for Assad opposition forces.

See also Trump arrives for UFC fight

The Russia-Turkey agreement late last year to push al-Qaeda-linked jihadis out of Syria’s Idlib region failed, with Moscow blaming Ankara for the lack of success. Now, the jihadis control most of Idlib and some of the surrounding areas — considered the last remaining rebel stronghold in Syria.

Israel has targeted assets on Syrian soil linked to Assad’s ally Iran. Iran considers Israel, which shares a border with Syria, to be its mortal enemy.

Democrat leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have defended Omar from bipartisan criticism over repeated antisemitic remarks.

In his written testimony, Ambassador Jeffrey condemned Russia and Iran for enabling Assad, noting that the Syrian regime has been able to re-conquer 60 percent of the war-ravaged country with the help of Moscow, Tehran, and Iranian proxies like Hezbollah.