US willing to work with Russia, Iran on Syria

Struggling for a solution to Syria’s civil war, President Barack Obama said the United States is willing to work with Russia, as well as Iran to achieve a “managed transition” to remove Syrian leader Bashar Assad from power.

Syria cannot “return to the pre-war status quo,” Obama declared during his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly.

The president’s remarks underscore the tensions between the US and Russia, Assad’s strongest ally. Assad’s future was expected to be a top issue during a rare meeting late last night between Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin.