According to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, a solution for the civil war in Syria can be found only through a diplomatic effort that includes Russia and Iran. The starting point is that Assad has not accepted any diktat from the West and the Gulf states and it is therefore necessary to include Damascus’ allies in a broader scheme. This would provide guarantees to the religious minorities that fear an Islamist takeover and are thus mostly supportive of the Syrian president. The ultimate goal would be that the president of Syria would be replaced by a government acceptable to this country, with the consent of Moscow and Tehran. This solution would also be central to the international fight against the Islamic State, which is a threat both to the coalition backing the rebels and to the pro-government forces.
Jimmy Carter, The New York Times