Iran, Excluded From Other Meetings on Syria, Hosts Its Own

The New York Times

TEHRAN — Shut out of diplomatic meetings on the Syria conflict, Iran convened emergency consultations of its own on Thursday, with participants from nearly 30 countries including Russia and China discussing ways to reach a solution. It was the first such international gathering since special representative Kofi Annan resigned as a United Nations and Arab League mediator last week.

There were no conclusions or declarations by the participating nations, said Iraq’s foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, one of the highest-ranking diplomats present in the meeting. Mr. Zebari said the gathering was meant to “keep interest alive, after Kofi Annan’s failure to find a solution for Syria.”

Iran is a staunch ally of the embattled Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, and had been warning against any form of foreign intervention in the country, which it says forms the “axis of resistance” against Israel.

Iran, which views itself as a key regional power, announced the meeting only last week and did not manage to attract key diplomats. Zimbabwe, like Iraq, sent its foreign minister. Russia and China sent their ambassadors, as did smaller countries like the Maldives, Nigaragua and Kazakhstan.

The Iranians have not specified whether the United States was invited. But the Americans have made clear that they consider Iran part of the problem in Syria and have blocked Iran’s participation at other international meetings aimed at finding a solution to the conflict.

The so-called Friends of Syria meetings, which have been led by the United States, have included more than 80 countries and have declared solidarity with anti-Assad groups. Iran has not participated in those meetings. Under American pressure, Mr. Annan excluded Iran from a meeting of what he called countries of influence, held on June 30 in Geneva.

There was no immediate reaction from the State Department in Washington to the Syria meeting in Tehran, which was organized by Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

The Iranian foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, repeated Iran’s proposed solution of a national dialogue between the Syrian government and “some popular opposition groups.” All other options, Mr. Salehi warned, would only strengthen what he called extremist groups in Syria, including Al Qaeda. He said the conflict threatened to spill over into countries neighboring Syria.

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, did not attend the meeting, but said in a statement read out by a local United Nations representative, Consuelo Vidal-Bruce, that he feared an ethnic conflict loomed in Syria.

“Now, we face the grim possibility of long-term civil war, destroying Syria’s rich tapestry of interwoven communities,” Mr. Ban’s statement said, expressing hope that such an outcome could be averted. “I urge you all to face up to the collective responsibilities we shoulder.”

Syrian rebels have long accused Iran of supporting Mr. Assad with money and weapons, and last Sunday released a video of a group of men they said were members of Iran’s revolutionary Guards Corps on a reconnaissance mission in the country. Iran has denied the charges, saying the men were Shiite pilgrims, and in turn has accused Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey of arming the rebels and plotting the overthrow of Mr. Assad. On Tuesday, Iran said it held the United States responsible for the well-being of the abducted Iranians, because of its support for the Syrian opposition.

Mr. Salehi said that Iran had supplied Syria only with medication and ambulances. “Iran is against massacres of unarmed citizens by any side,” he said.