US seeks to downplay Iran Geneva II exclusion

"The nuclear negotiations are one set of negotiations, and the discussion about if Iran should go to Geneva II or what role they can play in Syria are completely separate,” US State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters on Wednesday.

"We've clearly had credible disagreements over Syria throughout the entire nuclear negotiating process.
That really is separate,” she added.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Sunday that he had invited Iran to take part in the Geneva II conference.
However, he rescinded the invitation less than 24 hours later under mounting pressure from the United States and the so-called National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.

Reacting to Iran’s invitation to the Syrian talks, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Iran's participation is welcome only if Tehran explicitly and publicly announces its support for the full execution of the 2012 Geneva communiqué, which entails the establishment of a transitional government in Syria without any role for President Bashar Al-Assad in the country’s future.
Iran had been excluded from the 2012 Geneva conference.

The Islamic Republic had repeatedly stated that it would not accept any precondition for attending the Geneva II talks.
Iran has also said that it would like to help find a political solution to the crisis in Syria but it had never asked to partake in the talks.

The Syria crisis talks kicked off in the Swiss town of Montreux on Wednesday.

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