Rubio says Syria could be weeks away from “full-scale civil war”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Tuesday that Syria could be weeks away from a fresh civil war of "epic proportions," as he called for support to the transitional leadership.

"It is our assessment that, frankly, the transitional authority, given the challenges they're facing, are maybe weeks -- not many months -- away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions, basically the country splitting up," Rubio told a US Senate hearing.

US President Donald Trump last week on a visit to Saudi Arabia announced a lifting of Assad-era sanctions and met with the guerrilla leader who is now Syria's transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Sharaa, clad in a suit and complimented by Trump as a "young, attractive guy," was until recently on a US wanted list.

Rubio quipped: "The transitional authority figures, they didn't pass their background check with the FBI."

But he added: "If we engage them, it may work out, it may not work out. If we did not engage them, it was guaranteed to not work out."

Rubio, who also met with Syria's foreign minister in Turkey on Thursday, blamed the renewed violence on the legacy of Assad, a largely secular leader who hailed from the Alawite sect.

"They are dealing with deep internal distrust in that country, because Assad deliberately pitted these groups against each other," Rubio said.