The U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria has issued his strongest words to date against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking to BBC News, Lakhdar Brahimi appeared to endorse Assad’s departure from government as part of any political solution in Syria.

Lakhdar Brahimi: “What people are saying is that the family ruling for 40 years is a little bit too long. So the change has to be — has to be real. And I think that President Assad could take the lead in responding to this aspiration of his people rather than resisting it.”