The invitation after the United States declared itself ready to engage long-time foe Iran if it might help halt Syria’s civil war.
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The “working dinner” at the French foreign ministry will include “the main partners engaged with France in dealing with the Syrian crisis: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, Germany, the United States, Italy and Britain”, Fabius said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia is said to have been the primary opposition to Iranian involvement in the talks, though rebel factions are also none too happy.
US-led efforts to “degrade and destroy” the movement have been stymied by the chaos in Syria, where Alawite president Assad is battling a broader rebellion. It’s just that everything has to be tried, as Syria’s agony grows by the day, and with it worldwide tensions and the plight of ever increasing numbers of people fleeing the country.
Iran’s government has proposed a peaceful transition in Syria that would culminate in free, multi-party elections, but it has not been involved in multilateral peace talks. Since last month, Russian Federation has launched hundreds of airstrikes targeting what it says are the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.
Syria’s civil war has killed more than 250,000 people since it broke out in March 2011, sparked by a bloody crackdown on protests against Assad’s rule.
Such groups have, however, been eclipsed in much of Syria by jihadists including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and the Islamic State group – the stated target of the Russian intervention in the war.
How has the world reacted? But Iran clearly has a stake in Syria’s future, as Assad’s government has helped the Iranians exert dominance over nearby Lebanon and threaten Israel through their proxy, Hezbollah.
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Russian Federation has been mounting air strikes in Syria in support of the Syrian military since September 30.
