“There are no easy answers and a political solution is going to have to happen,” Haley said. | Getty Haley: Regime change in Syria 'we think is going to happen'

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Saturday that regime change in Syria is one of the United States' priorities, adding that Syrian President Bashar Assad "is not the leader" Syria needs.

In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Haley said ousting Assad is a priority for the U.S., as well as defeating the Islamic State and shrinking Iranian influence.


"This is a complicated situation. There are no easy answers and a political solution is going to have to happen," Haley said. "There's not any sort of option where political solution is going to happen with Assad at the head of the regime, if you look at his actions if you look at the situation, it's going to be hard to see a government that's peaceful and stable with Assad."

When asked by host Jake Tapper whether it's the position of the Trump administration that Assad cannot remain in power, Haley indicated that regime change is possible.

"Regime change is something that we think is going to happen because all of the parties are going to see that Assad is not the leader that needs to be taking place for Syria," Haley said.

However, not everyone in the Trump administration has ruled out working with the Assad regime for a political solution to Syria's civil war.

On Saturday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation" that defeating ISIS is first priority in Syria, and that only after the militant group had been defeated, could there be talk of a political solution. Tillerson said during the interview that a solution would require participation from Assad's regime in addition to their allies.