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| Iran to attend Syria talks in Vienna | Iran to attend Syria talks in Vienna |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will attend international talks on the Syrian crisis being held in Vienna this week, a government spokeswoman has said. | |
| It will be the first time that Iran - an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - has attended such talks. | It will be the first time that Iran - an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - has attended such talks. |
| Earlier, the US said an invitation to the meeting had been extended to Iran. | |
| The talks will include foreign ministers from the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. | The talks will include foreign ministers from the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. |
| Officials from Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon could also be involved, Russian diplomatic sources said. | |
| Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called for a "widening of the dialogue" on Syria, when he spoke to reporters. | |
| Iran is believed to have spent billions of dollars over the past four years propping up President Assad's government, providing military advisers and subsidising weapons. | |
| However, Syria's political opposition has warned that Iran's involvement will only complicate the meeting in Vienna. | |
| Both Iran and Russia - another ally of President Assad - have recently stepped up their military role in the Syrian conflict. |