Analysts point out that the President’s speech comes at a point of inflection in the Syrian crisis. In the United States, a major change of personnel is taking place in the State Department, CIA and the Pentagon, which might be a precursor to a policy shift on Syria.

Later in January, Lakhdar Brahimi is hosting a trilateral meeting with senior Russian and U.S. officials, amid anticipation that a new U.S.-Russia plan on resolving the Syrian crisis is in the works.