US Treasury Department Places Two Leaders of al-Nusra Front on Sanctions List

On March 5, the United States Treasury Department placed two leaders of the al-Qaeda branch in Syria, previously known as al-Nusra Front, on its 'blacklist.' This action came just a day after the UN Security Council also included these two individuals in its sanctions list. One of them, Iyad Nazmi Saleh Khalil, is estimated to be the third in command of the al-Qaeda leadership in Syria and the 'Emir' of this group in coastal areas of the country. The second individual, Bassam Ahmad al-Hosari, is said to be the main liaison between al-Nusra Front and al-Qaeda, as well as the 'Emir' of its militants in Daraa. Iyad Nazmi Saleh Khalil is reported to be responsible for the group's targeted assassinations and runs prisons where torture is prevalent. John Smith, the deputy head of the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, stated that individuals on the blacklist provide 'critical support for the violence of this terrorist group' by overseeing al-Nusra Front's strategies and operations. The sanctions against these two individuals were imposed just hours after their names were added to the UN Security Council blacklist, aimed at preventing them from accessing financial resources and distancing them from the international economic system. These sanctions also prevent them from traveling abroad. In the new US sanctions, consistent with previous actions, the name change of al-Nusra Front to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and the group's claim of severing ties with al-Qaeda are not recognized. Bassam Ahmad al-Hosari, according to the UN Security Council, is approximately 47 years old, a Syrian national, and holds a passport from the Palestinian Authority. Iyad Nazmi Saleh Khalil, around 43 years old, holds Jordanian passports.