Obama Says U.S. Would Partner With Russia, Iran to End Syrian Conflict

U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations on Monday, focusing his speech on the importance of defeating the Islamic State and resolving the current conflict in Syria.

The Commander-in-Chief told world leaders that the U.S. will work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to resolve the current conflict in Syria, describing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a "tyrant" who must be stopped.

"We must recognize that there cannot be, after so much bloodshed, so much carnage, a return to the prewar status quo," the president said at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

The president added that world powers must focus on ending Syria's ongoing civil war and removing al-Assad from power.

The Commander-in-Chief also alluded to Russian leader Vladimir Putin's support of Syria's al-Assad, suggesting that there are "strong states that seek to impose their will on weaker ones."

"On this basis, we see some major powers assert themselves in ways that contravene international law," Obama continued. "We're told that such retrenchment is required to beat back disorder, that it's the only way to stamp out terrorism. In accordance with this logic, we should support tyrants like Bashar al-Assad."

The president also addressed the importance of defeating the Islamic State, saying "there is no room for accommodating an apocalyptic cult like ISIL."

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has previously expressed Syria and al-Assad as his country's ally, and has pushed for al-Assad to be part of the fight against the Islamic State.