WASHINGTON — The Donald Trump administration is expected to name John Hannah as the next US Syria envoy, as it seeks to reinvigorate the UN-led Geneva negotiations and advance a political resolution to the Syrian conflict, multiple Syria experts and a US official told Al-Monitor.

Hannah, who served as the top national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, currently is a senior counselor to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Before serving as Cheney’s deputy national security adviser for the Middle East (2001-2004) and then national security adviser (2005-2009), Hannah was a senior State Department official in both the Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush administrations, serving on the policy planning staff under veteran Middle East peace negotiator Dennis Ross. Hannah did not respond to an emailed query from Al-Monitor.

A US official speaking not for attribution said the appointment was expected but that its exact timing was unknown.

The Trump administration has been consulting with like-minded countries to discuss mechanisms for trying to reinvigorate the Syria negotiations led by UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura.