Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger says that although the U.S. approach to the Syria crisis has proceeded "tortuously," a Russian-involved plan for Syria to turn over chemical weapons could still work out.

"There could be quite a good outcome because if we get the chemical weapons, it then becomes a basis for a transition in Syria that leads to relative peace," Kissinger said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation." "Then at the end of the day, however tortuously we arrived at this conclusion, it will have served the interest of the world."

He also said ahead of the United Nations General Assembly this week that President Barack Obama should push for further progress on dissuading Iran from pursuing its nuclear program before he meets with the country's new president.

(Also on POLITICO: Elder statesmen speak)

"Iran has been building with great energy a nuclear program and I would be more at ease if the meeting of the presidents occurred at the end of some diplomatic achievement, but I can see the temptations," Kissinger said.