US Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey will retire in November, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday.
Pompeo said he also designated Ambassador Nathan Sales, the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, as Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh*.
"Ambassador James Jeffrey, who has served for almost two and a half years as the Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, will retire from his roles this month", Pompeo said. "I have directed Joel Rayburn, currently Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Envoy for Syria, to assume Ambassador Jeffrey's Syria engagement responsibilities."
#US Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey will retire this month, Pompeo announces. DAS Joel Rayburn will take over Syria engagement responsibilities and Nathan Sales will take the role of Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. pic.twitter.com/ic9BgT5Cxn
— Joseph Haboush (@jhaboush) November 9, 2020
Prior to 2018, Jeffrey served as ambassador to Turkey and Iraq.
*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organisation outlawed in Russia and many other states