Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq revised its terrorism sanctions list to reflect updated identification details for Syrian transitional President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad Al-Julani, aligning with the latest UN Security Council records on ISIS and al-Qaeda designations.

According to Decision No. 62 of 2025, published in the Official Gazette, Iraq’s Committee for Freezing Terrorist Assets adopted Al-Sharaa’s full legal name—Ahmed Hussein Al-Sharaa—confirmed his Syrian nationality, and recorded his birthdate as October 29, 1982, reaffirming that his assets in Iraq have remained frozen since a 2019 order.

The update follows Al-Sharaa’s rise from leading Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to assuming Syria’s transitional presidency after the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, later formalized through parliamentary approval.

Read more: Iraq withdraws Hezbollah, Houthis terror designation

Al-Sharaa’s elevation has sparked controversy in Baghdad, where legal analysts point to unresolved Iraqi arrest warrants linked to his earlier identity as Abu Mohammad Al-Julani and his role in insurgent attacks following the 2003 US invasion.

Tensions also escalated after the Iraqi government invited him to an upcoming Arab summit in Baghdad, prompting criticism from Shiite factions who argued that the move dishonors victims of past violence, despite others pushing for pragmatic engagement with the new Syrian leadership.

The Supreme Judicial Council recently dismissed documents circulating online suggesting new warrants against Al-Sharaa as forgeries. However, it stopped short of clarifying the legal status of the original arrest order.

The United States delisted HTS in mid-2025, with the Secretary of State Marco Rubio lifting the group’s terrorist designation and withdrawing the $10 million bounty for information on Al-Sharaa, while keeping limited financial sanctions in place.

Read more: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa recalls imprisonment in Iraq