Iran 'Hostile' to US Involvement in Syria Talks

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said late Tuesday that his government opposed the United States joining Syrian peace talks to be held in Kazakhstan next week, local media reported.

"We are hostile to their presence and we have not invited them," Zarif said, according to the Tasnim news agency. 

That goes against the position of the other two organisers of the talks -- Russia and Turkey -- which have said the new US administration of Donald Trump should be represented in Astana on Monday. 

The negotiations mark the first time since the conflict began in 2011 that the US has not been at the centre of peace negotiations. 

"At this stage, we must keep the tripartite set-up. Any enlargement could increase the risk of failure. Our policy is to not add other countries at this stage," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told AFP on Wednesday.

The talks come in the wake of President Bashar al-Assad's symbolic victory last month in retaking Aleppo, Syria's second city and a key rebel stronghold through much of the war. 

Talks were ongoing between Iran, Russia and Turkey on who would attend, Ghasemi said, and other countries could be included in later stages after successful "first steps". 

"The meeting will not be at the ministerial level. It will probably be at the deputy minister level," he said. 

Ghasemi denied any major differences with Moscow over the involvement of Washington. 

Iran and Russia have been the key diplomatic and military backers of Syria in the war. 

"We have been working alongside each other for a long time, and have some strong convergences. There could at a certain stage, be some differences on certain subjects, but given the type of relations we have, we are sure to put ourselves in agreement through discussion," Ghasemi said.

Comments 21
Missing humble 18 January 2017, 09:34

Wait till Trump strategy is put in place...

Thumb Mystic 18 January 2017, 10:17

Obama, Trump whomever is American President is a Zionist scum. It makes no difference if he is black or white.

Thumb Mystic 18 January 2017, 14:44

Russia have a big problem with Saudi Wahabism, they fought 2 wars in Chechnya against Wahabi inspired rebels including the Wahabi leader Khattab from Saudi Arabia many Russians died in the process of those wars.

They also want to keep Assad in power, so they do have plenty of interests in common with the Axis of Resistance.

When it comes to Israel there are no agreements.

Thumb Mystic 18 January 2017, 19:08

And you are crying rivers here. Naharnet will be have to close down soon because of your floods of tears.

Yes Assad won, you lost. Turkey is backing out too.

Thumb Elemental 18 January 2017, 19:56

Actually Mystic, Obama is of you.

Thumb _mowaten_ 19 January 2017, 00:23

Emental: what do you mean by "of you"? I'm curious how your israeli mind associates obama to lebanon.

Thumb _mowaten_ 19 January 2017, 00:23

obama just gave you 34Bn$ in aid, you beggars could at least be thankful

Thumb Elemental 19 January 2017, 05:34

My favorite Iranian tool, Movaten. I could care less about Israel. You and your inbred assumptions are so entertaining!

Thumb Elemental 19 January 2017, 05:39

Obama is Shia, it's a fact he's on your Iranian payroll. Besides bowing down and giving you fakes over 400 billion. Quit pretending you're Lebanese Movaten, it's a joke like you and your fake accounts you create.

Thumb _mowaten_ 19 January 2017, 12:04

"Obama is Shia" lol are you for real? not even worthy of an answer. stay deluded dude, see who cares?

Thumb shab 18 January 2017, 18:17

Who cares what this Iranian opposes?

Thumb Elemental 18 January 2017, 19:57

Exactly, however we can say Movaten and his fake accounts might whine a little, but that's about it.

Thumb _mowaten_ 19 January 2017, 00:21

yea, only in the end they're winning, whether in syria, yemen or lebanon and you're the ones doing the whining in saudi and israel lol

Thumb Elemental 19 January 2017, 05:32

Poor Movaten, Saudis and Israeli's are whiners too, sunshine, I'm just impressed you're using your real account instead of your fake ones you Takia fake.

Thumb Elemental 18 January 2017, 19:58

They're always such drama queens.

Thumb _mowaten_ 19 January 2017, 00:24

lol, another brain-damaged troll

Thumb EagleDawn 19 January 2017, 08:18

interesting, coming from a shia iranian troll in a total coma.

Default-user-icon law kounto aalam (Guest) 19 January 2017, 00:53

kasarjian bang on, in 2006 nasrallahi gave the zionists the green light to destroy lebanon, he admitted to it

Thumb scorpyonn 19 January 2017, 03:37

These weasels will get annihilated by the new US Govt- who are they to comment about Syria? Damn bastards meddle all over the world and think they can get away with it.

Missing humble 19 January 2017, 08:32

Speaking about the hatred between Iran and Israel an expert in geopoltics told me litterally:"Iran is an ally to Israel. Just wait and see".
Wow!!!!

Thumb EagleDawn 19 January 2017, 08:49

congrats on officially moving away from M14. Just curious your not completely M8 comment did not mention Assad one bit. Any reason or was it just a a slip?