The US-Russian plan for Syria’s chemical disarmament, announced in Geneva over the weekend, is the top story this morning. The Guardian says that US President Obama is facing internal criticism over the plan, with Republican opponents accusing him of “selling out” to Russia. The Independent and its sister publication Independent i emphasise Obama’s televised comments in which he said that Iran should draw a lesson over Syria that diplomacy is possible over Tehran’s nuclear development, but that a strong military option remains. The Guardian includes a comment by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who emphasised that diplomacy can only work alongside a credible military threat. The Financial Times notes that United Nations (UN) chemical weapons inspectors are set to release their report today on the use of chemical weapons in Syria last month.

In commentary surrounding the US-Russian plan, Tim Montgomerie in the Times says that Obama has overseen a decline in US global influence, exacerbated by his amateur decision-making. In the Telegraph, Shashank Joshi doubts whether the plan will signal a huge practical change with the maintenance of the Assad regime key to Syria’s chemical disarmament. An editorial in the Independent argues that the plan provides a window of at least a few months to develop a diplomatic process towards a ceasefire in Syria. However, the leader in the Guardian says that it is doubtful that the plan will bring peace any closer in Syria and instead attention will now focus on Iran.

The Times includes an eyewitness report on the everyday horrors of the Syrian civil war, emphasising the continued impact on ordinary citizens despite the international diplomacy surrounding chemical weapons. The Telegraph online says that IHS Janes estimates that less than one third of Syrian opposition fighters are “palatable” to the UK government, the rest comprising Islamists and jihadists. Both the Independent and Independent i report a sense of relief in Lebanon, accompanied by a return to internal bickering following the reduced threat of a US-led air strike on Syria.

The confirmation by President Obama that he has exchanged letters with Iran’s President Hassan Rowhani and the prospect of representatives from the two countries meeting on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York is covered by the Times, Financial Times and Daily Mirror. Meanwhile, the Telegraph, Guardian and the online edition of the Independent report confirmation that Foreign Minister William Hague will meet his Iranian counterpart at the UN gathering later this month, signalling a possible thawing in relations between the UK and Iran.

The Israeli media this morning focuses largely on the brief visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry to Jerusalem, during which he discussed Syrian chemical disarmament and the Israel-Palestinian peace talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Maariv emphasises Kerry’s insistence that the threat of US military action against Syria is still on the table. Haaretz and Makor Rishon highlight President Obama’s televised comments yesterday in which he said that although the plan for Syrian disarmament shows that diplomacy can work, Iran should not make the mistake of thinking that military action is not an option over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Yediot Ahronot’s headline is simply “Next stop: Iran” with commentator Eitan Haber arguing that the example of Syria should send a powerful message to Tehran. However, writing in Maariv, David Shayan bemoans the US-Russia plan on Syria, branding it as appeasement.

A major story in Maariv claims that Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon has said in a closed forum that the application of a new draft law which will require the large-scale enlistment of ultra-Orthodox students, has been left to his discretion. Meanwhile, a Bank of Israel warning over a potential real estate bubble is reported in Yediot Ahronot, Haaretz and Makor Rishon.