Any plan for Syria without Iran will fail

The Iranian ambassador to Damascus says Iran is the most important player in the region, and the West has no alternative other than taking Iran’s views into consideration at the Geneva 2 conference, because otherwise their plans for Syria will end in failure.
“Whether Iran is present at this conference or not, it is the main player in developments in the region, and they are compelled to take Iran’s views and the interests of the people of the region into consideration, otherwise their plans will fail,” Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani told the Fars News Agency in an interview published on Saturday.

For two years, some regional and Western countries tried to ignore Iran’s views on how to settle the Syrian conflict, and this not only led to the failure of their policies in the region but also to suffering for the people of the region, he added.

Sheibani said divisions among opposition groups and the inability to reach a consensus on the agenda of the talks have led to a postponement of the conference.

He went on to say that Iran is the only country in the region that has a “strategic view” toward regional developments.

The ambassador also expressed hope that regional and international players would act in such a way at the Geneva 2 meeting so that the Syrian conflict can be brought to an end.

In addition, he said 14 groups, comprising opponents and allies of the Syrian government, will be coming to Tehran for a meeting in the near future.