Bashar Al Assad
Bashar Al AssadFlash 90

The US government imposed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar Al Assad's son Hafez Wednesday.

Hafez was one of 14 people on whom sanctions were imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection.

Hafez, 18, will not be allowed to travel or maintain assets in the United States, the State Department said, noting that he has assumed a more prominent role in the family recently.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated: "The Assad regime’s military has become a symbol of brutality, repression, and corruption. They have killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, detained and tortured peaceful protesters, and destroyed schools, hospitals, and markets without regard to human life."

It is time for Assad’s needless, brutal war to end.  This, above all, is what our sanctions campaign is meant to bring about. A political solution under UNSCR 2254 is the only credible path to the peace the Syrian people deserve.