US: Iran must be involved in discussions on ending Syria conflict
The United States has acknowledged that Iran would eventually need to be involved in diplomatic discussions on ending the Syrian conflict.
The US State Department said on Monday that Iran is a stakeholder in this process because of Tehran’s close relationship with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"At some point ... we know there's going to need to be a conversation with Iran toward the end of a political transition there," Spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Vienna on Monday.
Kirby made the remarks following talks on Friday in the Austrian capital between US Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on a political settlement in Syria.
"They are a stakeholder in this process. They do have a relationship with the Assad regime; they do have a relationship inside Syria," the spokesman added.
Several US officials said Tuesday that Iran has been invited to participate for the first time in international talks over Syria's future.
The US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Iran has yet to reply.
Several top European and Arab diplomats are also expected to attend the talks in Vienna on Thursday.
Iran has never been invited to meetings on Syria since the crisis began in the country in 2011. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed the need for Iran’s presence in the negotiations.
Kerry and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman pledged Friday to further boost the militants operating in Syria while stressing the need for a “transition away” from President Assad.
Before meeting Salman, Kerry accused Assad of standing in the way of peace efforts in Syria.
“One thing stands in the way of being able to rapidly move to implement that, and it's a person called Assad,” he said in Vienna.
The United States -- with assistance from its regional allies especially Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia -- has been arming and training militant units to combat the Syrian government.
Rome protests Maduro abduction by US
Venezuela to deliver 30-50 million barrels of oil to US: Trump
Donald Trump: An anti-establishment rebel or gangster in a suit?
Iran expects slight increase in domestic wheat purchases
France and allies weigh response to possible US invasion of Greenland
Israel approves over 3,400 settler units in occupied East al-Quds
VIDEO | South Africans demand release of UK Palestine Action activists
Israel kills one, injures another in new airstrike on southern Lebanon
VIDEO | South Koreans demand end to US imperialism
‘Outright piracy’: Moscow slams US seizure of Russian-flagged oil tanker in North Atlantic
China expected to raise Iran oil imports amid Venezuela tensions: Report
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
