Syria crisis: Iran invite threatens Geneva peace talks

Syria's Western-backed opposition has threatened to pull out of forthcoming peace talks in Switzerland, after the UN invited Iran to take part.

The National Coalition said Iran, a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had not committed to the idea of a transitional government in Syria.
US officials say they expect the invite to be rescinded. Russia said the talks would be a "profanation" without Iran.
Mr Assad reiterated on Monday that the talks must focus on "terrorism".

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Analysis

Jonathan Marcus BBC diplomatic correspondent

Washington has made it clear that the condition for Iran to participate in the Syria peace process - Geneva II - is that it accepts the outcome of the first Geneva conference of June 2012. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon believes that Iran understands this condition and thus has issued them with an invitation.
The Syrian opposition has in consequence thrown a question mark over its participation, undoing weeks of diplomatic arm-twisting by the US and its allies to encourage them to attend. Now, the UK for one wants Tehran to be more explicit about its backing for a transitional government in Syria. That may be a step too far for Iran.
Geneva II remains in the balance, but expectations should in any case be limited. The Western-backed opposition is not hugely representative of the fighting groups on the ground, and the Syrian regime is still insisting that President Assad hopes to play a future role.

His regime labels all rebel groups as terrorists, and stresses that they are backed by "foreigners".