James Jeffrey: “A political solution is highly unlikely with a government acting the way the current Assad government acts.”

There is no doubt, including in the White House, that Iran is an extremely dangerous, expansionist force in the region.

Our top-line goal for a Syria that we and the international community can live with is one that does not support terror...

Our bottom line is this conflict must end and it must end now.

We would much prefer to pursue the positive agenda of deescalation and political reinvigoration I just described, but we are prepared to maintain our policy of pressure...