WASHINGTON, September 16 (Sputnik) — Wormuth noted that the Syrian government still had considerable military strength.
"It is still the most powerful military force on the ground, and the support it receives from Iran and Russia remains significant," Wormuth added.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011 as opposition factions and Islamic extremist groups, including the Islamic State and the al-Nusra Front, have been battling the Syrian government forces.
The United States has been supporting what they label "moderate" Syrian rebels and has sought to remove Assad from power.
Russia, unlike many Western countries, considers Assad to be the legitimate authority in Syria, and provides military equipment to the Syrian government and humanitarian aid to the needy Syrians.
"The assessment right now is that the regime is not in imminent danger of falling," Wormuth told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
