Donald Trump Urges Russia to Restrain Bashar al-Assad and Iran

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, during a meeting with Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, urged Moscow to restrain the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and its main ally, Iran. According to AFP, the White House announced on Wednesday, May 10, that Mr. Trump emphasized the need for cooperation between Washington and Moscow to 'end the war in Syria' and specifically requested that 'Russia restrain the Assad regime, Iran, and Tehran-backed proxy groups.' The tone of Donald Trump and his administration officials towards Bashar al-Assad's government has hardened since the recent chemical attack in Idlib province, attributed to Damascus, leading them to call for Assad's removal, despite earlier statements from the Secretary of State and the U.S. Ambassador to the UN that Washington was no longer seeking Assad's ouster. Washington responded to the Idlib chemical attack by targeting one of Assad's air bases, which provoked a strong reaction from Russia. Nevertheless, communications between the White House and the Kremlin regarding the Syrian crisis continue, as evidenced by a phone conversation Donald Trump had with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 1. Following that, it was announced that the leaders of the two countries agreed that Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, and Sergey Lavrov would intensify their diplomatic efforts to establish a ceasefire in Syria. Sergey Lavrov's visit to Washington and his presence at the White House has also attracted media attention for another reason. In fact, this is the first time in four years, during which Washington and Russia's disagreements over Ukraine and Syria peaked, that Mr. Lavrov has visited the White House. The purpose of this visit is reported to be to garner U.S. support for the proposal to create safe zones in Syria, a plan initiated by Moscow aimed at reducing the scope of the war in Syria. Donald Trump described the meeting with Lavrov as 'very good' and stated that the U.S. and Russia would work together to stop the slaughter in Syria. Mr. Lavrov also assured that Washington and Moscow have a mutual understanding of the events in Syria and both are working to continue such bilateral communications and also engage with other key countries in the conflict. In this context, the Syrian Foreign Ministry stated that the responsibility for safe zones lies with Russia, not UN peacekeepers. The U.S. is 'carefully reviewing' Russia's plan for safe zones in Syria. The Trump administration's agreement to send weapons to predominantly Kurdish militants in Syria emphasizes the need for the European Union to exert pressure on Iran. The changing dynamics of 'proxies'; the war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalization in Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis. 1300 hours of internet outages; Witkoff: A horrific massacre occurred during the protests in Iran. The shadow of war over Tehran; 'Trump is seeking decisive military options against Iran.' Trump emphasizes 'stopping executions in Iran': We do not know what will happen in the future. Trump says if the Islamic Republic attempts to assassinate him, 'it will be wiped off the face of the earth.'