Iran’s Rouhani says Syria talks unlikely to succeed

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says he doubts the Geneva II conference aimed at ending the Syrian crisis will be successful.
“Because of the lack of influential players in the meeting, I doubt about the Geneva 2 meeting’s success in fighting against terrorism … and its ability to resolve the Syria crisis,” Rouhani said on Wednesday prior his departure for the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“The Geneva 2 meeting has already failed without it even being started,” he said.
“As we said before, the Islamic Republic of Iran calls for peace and stability, and campaign against terrorism in the region.”
The comments came after the UN withdrew its invitation to Iran to join the peace conference on the Syria crisis. It made the decision after the invitation angered the US and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition.
More than 100,000 people have been killed and millions more displaced in the nearly three years of conflict.
The Syrian government and main exiled opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), are due to partake in the conference in the Swiss town of Montreux.