Russia and Iran could help persuade Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to negotiate an end to the conflict plaguing the Arab nation, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday, NBC News reported. Speaking after talks in London with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Kerry said, “Assad has to go,” but the “modality” and “timing” of his departure are a matter for discussion. “We need to get to the negotiation. That is what we’re looking for and we hope Russia and Iran, and any other countries with influence, will help to bring about that, because that’s what is preventing this crisis from ending,” he said. Iran says it is up to the Syrian people to decide what role Assad will play in the Arab country’s future.
“There is an urgency” in the need to find peace, Kerry said, adding, “This is a critical moment.”
