Ban Discusses Syria Crisis, Iran Nuclear with Ahmadinejad

U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon discussed the situation in Syria on Thursday with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a U.N. spokesman said, amid a new diplomatic push to end the crisis.

Ban and Ahmadinejad also spoke about the showdown over Iran's disputed nuclear programs during the talks on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, said U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky.

The spokesman gave no details of the talks except to say that the pair "exchanged views on the situation in Syria."

Ban and U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan have spoken out in favor of Iran taking part in an international meeting on Syria that Annan is trying to organize.

The meeting could be held in Geneva on June 30, diplomats said.

While Iran is one of the last allies of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the wake of his regime's crackdown on dissent, the United States and European countries have said they would not accept Tehran's presence at any meeting on ending the conflict.