DUBAI: An Iranian deputy foreign ministry said his country had been invited to a planned international peace conference in Geneva aimed at ending the war in Syria, Iranian state television reported Wednesday. The United States and Russia want Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his foes to send delegates to the proposed talks, but disagree over whether Iran, an ally of Assad, should attend.
“We received a verbal invitation to take part in the second Geneva conference. Iran is a serious part of resolving the crisis in Syria,” Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdullahian, told Iran’s Press TV.
He did not say who had issued the invitation, but said Iran would respond after it had received a written invitation.
Abdullahian blamed the West for stoking violence in Syria, saying the United States and European countries were sending weapons there “despite the active presence of terrorist groups”.
The United States, Britain and France deny arming Syrian rebels, but have not ruled out doing so in future. Assad’s opponents have received funds and weapons from some Gulf countries, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
There was no immediate comment from the United Nations or from countries promoting the Geneva peace talks on Abdullahian’s statement that Iran had been verbally invited. (Reuters)