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Syria crisis: Iran invite threatens Geneva peace talks Syria crisis: Iran invite threatens Geneva peace talks
(about 3 hours later)
A UN invitation to Iran to take part in preliminary Syrian peace talks in Switzerland has drawn criticism, with the Syrian opposition saying it might suspend its participation. Syria's Western-backed opposition has threatened to pull out of forthcoming peace talks in Switzerland, after the UN invited Iran to take part.
The US and the UK say the offer must be conditional on Iran's support for the 2012 deal on Syria's transition. The National Coalition said Iran, a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had not committed to the idea of a transitional government in Syria.
But Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remains defiant, saying he might run for a third term in June. US officials say they expect the invite to be rescinded. Russia said the talks would be a "profanation" without Iran.
He says the talks should be to discuss "the fight against terrorism". Mr Assad reiterated on Monday that the talks must focus on "terrorism".
By this, he means the rebel fighters seeking his removal from office. His regime labels all rebel groups as terrorists, and stresses that they are backed by "foreigners".
United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he had received assurances that Iran would play a positive role in securing a transitional government. In an interview with AFP news agency, Mr Assad also indicated he was not going to quit as president, saying he was likely to run for a third term.
But Syria's main opposition group said it would withdraw from the talks unless Mr Ban retracted the offer to Iran. He said the possibility of the National Coalition obtaining any ministerial positions in a new government was "totally unrealistic".
The group, the National Coalition, had only agreed to attend the talks two days ago. The National Coalition had initially refused to attend the talks because they wanted a guarantee that any transitional government would not involve Mr Assad.
Syria's government had already agreed to attend the meeting. They agreed to join the talks only two days ago, but now say that they will pull out unless the offer of Iran's participation is withdrawn by 19:00 GMT.
Iran has accepted the invitation to the talks, but without preconditions. United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued the invite to Iran after he had received assurances that the Iranians would play a "positive role" in securing a transitional government.
US concern Iran has accepted the invitation to the talks "without preconditions".
The dispute over whether Iran, a crucial ally of President Assad's, should be taking part in the talks has caused friction before. The UN and Russia have long argued that Tehran should play a role.
The UN and Russia advocated a role for Tehran, but the US had reservations because of its failure to endorse the 2012 Geneva communique, detailing Syria's political transition process. On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he backed Mr Ban's decision to invite the Iranians, saying if they were absent "it will look like a profanation".
Washington is also concerned about Iran's deployment of military personnel in Syria, and its support of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, which had sent fighters to bolster Mr Assad's forces. But the US, which has not had formal diplomatic relations with Tehran for three decades, has insisted Iran has to commit to a transitional government.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the absence of Iran from the talks on the Syria crisis would be an "unforgivable mistake", adding that he fully supported Mr Ban's "responsible and principled" decision to invite Iran. The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says a US official told her that public statements given by Tehran fall short of the commitment given to Mr Ban in private, and that the US expects the invitation to be withdrawn.
The Syria peace conference has been more than a year in the making and now it is in disarray before it has even started, reports the BBC's Kim Ghattas. The US has accused Tehran of giving military and financial support to Mr Assad's regime.
The UN move appeared to have taken US officials by surprise, she adds.
Preliminary talks are due to open in Montreux on Wednesday and then continue in Geneva two days later.Preliminary talks are due to open in Montreux on Wednesday and then continue in Geneva two days later.
Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the AFP news agency there was a "good chance" he would run in a presidential election set for June. The path to the talks began in May last year when Mr Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry agreed to try to bring both sides together.
In an interview with the agency, he ruled out the National Coalition obtaining any ministerial positions in a new government, calling this "totally unrealistic". Later, the UN Security Council called for a conference to implement the Geneva communique - a deal on a transitional government agreed at a UN-backed meeting in 2012.
Syrian opposition figures had earlier expressed reluctance to go to Switzerland unless President Assad was excluded from any future transitional government.
Damascus says there cannot be any preconditions for the talks.
The three-year conflict in Syria has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people.The three-year conflict in Syria has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people.
An estimated two million people have fled the country and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced.An estimated two million people have fled the country and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced.