Iran holds Syria talks after being excluded from other U.S. led diplomatic meetings
On Thursday, Iran held diplomatic talks about the Syrian conflict with 29 other nations. Among others, delegates from Russia, China, India, Nicaragua, and Indonesia were present.
Peace between the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition seemed altogether impossible after Kofi Annan resigned as the mediator last week. The New York Times reported that Iraq’s foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said that the main goal of the meeting was to “keep interest alive, after Kofi Annan’s failure to find a solution for Syria.”
The Times of India ran an article stating that Iran has voiced its willingness to aid the Syrian regime, which it considers to be part of its “axis of resistance” against Israel.
Obama spokesman Jay Carney criticized Iran, saying that the country “has been engaged in an effort to prop up Assad as he brutally murders his own people.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi warned, “Do not forget that Syria is close to Europe; extremism can reach Europe easily from Syria. I am surprised the West is not more concerned over this.”
Iran has stepped into the role of key ally to Assad, while the United States has expressed its support for the Syrian rebels.
