So earlier this week, the U.N. secretary-general (Ban Ki-moon) invited Iran to join Syria’s peace talks in Switzerland however that invitation has now been withdrawn.
Ban Ki-moon expressed that he was “deeply disappointed” by Iran’s statements about accepting the basic conditions of the talks. The invitation withdrawal came shortly after Iran’s U.N. ambassador declared that the Islamic Republic wouldn’t join the Syria talks if required to accept the 2012 Geneva road map.
A spokesman for Ban Ki-moon, Martin Nesirky said senior Iranian officials had assured the secretary-general that Iran understood the terms of his invitation. Nesirky told reporters that Ban “is dismayed” by the developments and that Iran despite assurances, “has made a disappointing public statement” that suggests it doesn’t accept the terms of this week’s peace talks in Switzerland.
Senior U.S. officials had said the invitation must be withdrawn unless Iran fully and publicly endorsed the Geneva communique, which prescribed the formation of a transitional government for Syria that would pave the way for democratic elections.
“As we’ve stated many times, the purpose of the conference is the full implementation of the Geneva communique, including the establishment by mutual consent of a transitional governing body with full executive authorities,” read a statement from U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Monday. “We are hopeful that, in the wake of today’s announcement, all parties can now return to focus on the task at hand, which is bringing an end to the suffering of the Syrian people and beginning a process toward a long overdue political transition.”
