The White House on Friday played down the prospect of imposing a no-fly zone over Syria, saying the U.S. doesn't have a national interest in pursuing that option.

Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters a no-fly zone isn't a "silver bullet".

SOUNDBITE: Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes Saying:

"Frankly in Syria when you have a situation where regime forces are intermingled with opposition forces, they are fighting sometimes block by block in cities, that's not a problem you can solve from the air."

The statement comes one day after the administration said it would now ARM rebels.

But enforcing a no-fly zone, Rhodes said, could require intense, open-ended U.S. military engagement -- the sort of action NATO used to help topple Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.

THAT kind of military action could be vetoed in the U.N. Security Council by Assad's ally, Russia.

SOUNDBITE: Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes Saying: