Syrian President Bashar Assad said U.S. President Donald Trump prioritizing the fight against jihadis by the Islamic State group was promising although it was too early to expect any practical steps, state news agency SANA reported Tuesday.
Trump has indicated he might cut U.S. support for Syrian rebels and might help Syria in the fight against the Islamic State group.
He has made defeating IS a core goal of his presidency and signed an executive order asking the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other agencies to submit a preliminary plan on how to proceed within 30 days.
Assad was quoted by SANA as telling a group of Belgian reporters: "I believe this is promising but we have to wait and it's too early to expect anything practical."
In a tweet Monday, Trump said: "The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is very real, just look at what is happening in Europe and the Middle-East. Courts must act fast!"
Assad was also quoted as saying that U.S.-Russian cooperation in stepping up the fight against the militants would have positive repercussions.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.