U.S. President Donald Trump appealed to Moscow to "rein in" the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its key ally Iran, during White House talks Wednesday with Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov.

 

"President Trump emphasized the need to work together to end the conflict in Syria, in particular, underscoring the need for Russia to rein in the Assad regime, Iran, and Iranian proxies," the White House said following their talks.

 

Lavrov, who received a rare welcome to the Oval Office, was in Washington for the first time in nearly four years to secure U.S. support for a Russian plan to create safe zones in war-wracked Syria.