According to Kurdpress, on the surface, the recent trip of Tom Barak, the special representative of the US President, to Baghdad, Erbil and Damascus seems to be a series of diplomatic meetings and economic agreements. But juxtaposing the agreements signed in Iraq and Syria indicates the formation of a pattern that goes beyond a few energy projects; A model that can be seen as America's attempt to create a common economic-security architecture in Iraq and Syria.

In this context, Washington is trying to consolidate its influence not through the deployment of military forces, but by relying on a network of pipelines, oil fields, energy infrastructure, communication technology, and large investments.

The first sign of this strategy was revealed in the joint statement of the Iraqi and American governments after the meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Tom Barak on June 15. In this statement, the Iraqi government pledged to complete the process of disarmament and dissolution of armed groups outside the government's control; An issue that has always been one of Washington's main demands.

In contrast, America announced a package of economic and energy projects; including:

Licensing of Starlink activities in Iraq

Chevron's entry into the West Qurna-2 and Nasiriyah oil projects

Ensuring the security of HKN, Western Zagros and Hunt companies

Construction of LNG import terminal by Excelerate Energy in Khor Al-Zabair

Signing of the memorandum of understanding for the reconstruction of the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline with the participation of TI Capital

Almost simultaneously, similar developments took place in Syria. Syrian Energy Minister Muhammad al-Bashir met with major American energy companies in Washington between June 9 and 13.

Shortly after, Syrian Oil Company signed the first oil field development contract with ConocoPhillips and Novaterra Company; The contract is considered the first official cooperation between a large American oil company and the new Syrian government. At the same time, the authorities of Haskeh province also confirmed that the American company HKN Energy has started operations in some oil fields that were previously in the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and were recently officially handed over to the Damascus government.

One of the most important signs of this change is the concentration of responsibilities in the hands of Tom Barak. He now holds three key positions at the same time:

American ambassador to Türkiye

US special representative for Syria

Special Representative of the President of the United States for Iraq Affairs

In this way, the three axes of Ankara, Baghdad and Damascus are managed through a single channel; A matter that shows that Washington has found a new regional perspective on these three countries.

A list of US companies reinforces the same picture. HKN Energy now operates in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, in the federal Iraq and in the north-east of Syria. In addition to negotiations related to Iraqi projects, Chevron also has exploratory agreements on the coast of Syria.

In addition to the new Damascus contract, ConocoPhillips is also present in a consortium consisting of TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy to explore Syria's offshore Block No. 3. Baker Hughes, together with Hunt and Argent LNG, has participated in the development of Syria's comprehensive energy plan.

In this way, many companies that invest in Iraq have entered the Syrian market at the same time.

One of the most important components of this project is the revival of the historic Kirkuk-Banias pipeline. This pipeline, which was built in 1952, has been unused since 2003. Its restoration could transport up to one million barrels of Iraqi oil per day to the Mediterranean coast, reducing Baghdad's dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.

On the other hand, Syria will also benefit from the transit income and become a regional energy corridor. The placement of the American company TI Capital in the reconstruction project of this pipeline also shows that Washington intends to play a direct role in the most important energy artery between Iraq and the Mediterranean.

The main feature of this strategy is to change the way of American influence. In the past, military presence was the most important tool to maintain Washington's influence in the region. But now America seems to want to maintain the same level of influence through economic infrastructure.

Pipelines, power plants, LNG terminals, the Starlink satellite internet network, oil fields and joint ventures are all projects that have made the host country dependent on the technology, parts, capital and services of American companies for decades. In this model, America mostly plays the role of coordinator and political guarantor; American companies provide capital and technology; Türkiye provides the transit route and logistics capacity.

This process also has important implications for Kurdish actors. A significant part of the first projects of this plan are located in areas that were previously under the influence of Kurdish forces; From Haskeh oil fields to Kirkuk oil transfer routes.

The handing over of the SDF oil fields to the American company HKN, along with Washington's pressure to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into the structure of the Damascus government, shows that the new American model is based on strengthening central governments rather than self-governing structures.

Despite this, it is still not possible to talk about the formation of a completely new order in the region.

Reviving the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline will require billions of dollars of capital and a few years of time, many of the agreements in Syria are still at the level of memorandums of understanding, and the case of armed groups in Iraq remains unresolved.

However, the series of recent developments show that America is pursuing a coherent strategy to link Iraq and Syria in the form of a common economic and energy network; A network whose purpose is to reduce the dependence of these two countries on the countries of the United States and to replace military influence with economic influence.

However, it is still premature to describe this process as the beginning of a "new order". Iran remains one of the main players in regional equations and what is being formed today.