Jordan’s King, Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein, has become the first Arab lead to openly urge Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign from his post, the BBC is reporting. In an exclusive interview with BBC World News TV, the king said “If I were in his shoes, I would step down.”

King Abdullah has also urged President Assad to engage in conversations with the opposition, in order to bring about an orderly transition and to ensure his successors bring about change. The president has received growing criticism from Arab leaders in recent months over the crackdown of dissent in Syria.

Going further than other Arab leaders, King Abdullah also said that “If Bashar has the interest of his country, he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life.” The king’s statements come after Jordan has become one of the leading critics of Syria’s crackdown on anti-government protesters in recent months.

European foreign leaders are expected to tighten sanctions against Syria during the G20 meetings in Brussels. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, for example, has said it was time to see how the Syrian civilian population can be better protected. He added that he hopes the UN Security Council will finally take a position on the matter, as more than 3,500 people have died since the protests began in March. Syria has blamed terrorists for causing the violence.

Written by: Karen Benardello