WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio solved "a tremendous problem" in cooperation with Syria.

"Just today, we solved a tremendous problem in conjunction with Syria, saved many lives," he told Fox News during an interview.

Trump also hailed Rubio, saying he is doing a "fantastic job." "He's a tough cookie. I can tell you that he's a tough cookie."

The president did not share further details about Syria.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump said he had a "great" conversation with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

"I had a great conversation with the highly respected president of Syria," he told reporters before leaving for the state of Iowa.

Trump said all of the things having to do with Syria and that area are "working out very, very well."

"So we’re very happy about it," he added.