Tillerson Warns Russia on Syria, Saying Assad Era Is ‘Coming to an End’

Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said on Tuesday that President Bashar al-Assad’s reign in Syria was “coming to an end,” and he warned that Russia was at risk of becoming irrelevant in the Middle East by continuing to support him.

His remarks, five days after the United States carried out missile strikes in retaliation for a chemical attack for which Washington and its allies blamed Mr. Assad, illustrated the extent to which the Trump administration has, in just one week, substantially rethought its approach to Syria’s future.

On Tuesday, Mr. Tillerson seemed close to embracing the very policy the Obama administration had decided on: that Mr. Assad would eventually have to cede power, though the timeline remains unclear.

Mr. Trump himself has yet to clarify a welter of mixed signals emanating from Washington.

Mr. Tillerson’s remarks did little to end uncertainty about the Trump administration’s policies, which have cycled through acceptance of Mr. Assad’s long-term hold on power, the need for his immediate removal and something in between.

The remarks at a Group of 7 foreign ministers’ meeting here in the Tuscany region of Italy came just before Mr. Tillerson flew to Moscow to meet with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin.

Mr. Putin, at an appearance with President Sergio Mattarella of Italy, said on Tuesday that the chemical attack was “worth investigating thoroughly,” and he said Russia would formally ask the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for an inquiry.

But Mr. Putin showed no signs of backing away from Mr. Assad.

He likened the accusations against the Assad government — made by Britain, France and other allies, along with the Trump administration — to the flawed intelligence that President George W. Bush’s administration cited in 2003 to justify the invasion of Iraq.

Mr. Putin insisted that the chemical attack had stemmed from anti-Assad rebel units.

More From The New York Times: