Russia says Iran must join Syria peace talks

World News

Moscow: Russia demanded Tuesday that Iran must be welcomed to peace arrangements on Syria that the planet powers want to hold in Geneva later this month. "Every one of the aforementioned who influence the setup must

Iran's Rouhani says 'terrorists' must be expelled from Syria

Tehran, October 27: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told visiting UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi today that part of a solution to the Syria crisis is to expel "terrorist groups" from that country, a report said. Iran believes that by continuing humanitarian aid, preventing the entry (and) expelling terrorist groups from Syria and the complete destruction of chemical weapons will be first important steps for achieving stable peace in Syria," Rouhani said in comments reported by the official IRNA news agency. Syria's regime refers to rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad's regime as "terrorist groups" Taking orders from foreign states. Brahimi is on a Middle East tour to garner support for a planned peace conference next month in Geneva between regime and rebel representatives. Rouhani said a major obstacle to resolving the Syria crisis was the lack of consensus among regional and international Players. The first problem is divided among the Syrian opposition, the presence of terrorist groups between them... And the lack of consensus among Syria's neighboring countries and the world's major powers," he was quoted as saying. He added: "Iran is ready to play a positive role in any movement that would contribute to stability in Syria, and it makes no difference whether this effort is called Geneva II conference or anything else." The so-called Geneva II conference has been repeatedly postponed amid wrangling among the Syrian opposition, and a Dispute over which countries, including Iran, should participate. Brahimi said in Tehran yesterday that Iran's participation is "natural and necessary". But he stressed that no invitations had yet been sent out for the proposed international peace conference which the United Nations hopes to organize for late November. Prospects for the initiative to appear dim as the fractured Syrian opposition has yet to decide whether to attend and as Assad has said the "factors are not yet in place" for a conference. The conflict has killed more than 115,000 people since it erupted in March 2011, when a government crackdown on peaceful protests escalated into civil war.

Iran, UN-Arab envoy want political solution for Syria

Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and UN-Arab League joint special representative to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi Saturday called for finding a political solution to the ongoing Syrian crisis. Brahimi, who arrived in Tehran Saturday, expressed hope that with the help of Syria's neighbours, "we could mobilize all parties to solve the Syrian issue", Xinhua reported. "What is happening in Syria is a humanitarian crisis," said Brahimi, adding that "crimes against Syrian people by all sides should be stopped". Also, Zarif said "conflicts in Syria can only be solved by the Syrian people ... and we can only offer assistance" for political solutions. About Iran's role in the upcoming Geneva II talks on Syria, Brahimi said participation of Iran is "natural and necessary". "If invited to the Geneva II talks, Iran will attend the conference with the aim to find a political solution" to the Syrian problem, said Zarif. On Oct 7, US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the US might agree with Iran's participation in the conference if Tehran backs the "Geneva I Communique," which called for a transitional government in Syria. The US and some western countries have accused Iran of supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war and called Iran "part of the problem". Iran has said that it will not accept any precondition to its attending the Geneva II meeting. Being the main regional ally of the Syrian government, Iran has condemned foreign intervention and "terrorists' involvement" in the Syrian conflict.