Iran can play key role in Syria crisis resolution: Qatar FM

Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah says the Islamic Republic of Iran can play a key role in the resolution of the nearly three years of crisis that has beleaguered Syria.

In an exclusive interview with Arabic-language al-Jazeera news network broadcast on Monday night, the top Qatari diplomat stated that Iran remains a major playmaker and its involvement in any negotiations or initiatives aimed at ending the Syrian conflict is essential.

Attiyah asserted that Qatar was opposed to the exclusion of Iran from the Geneva II conference on the Syrian crisis, stating that Doha government knows that Iran is an influential country in the region.

On January 19, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tehran had been invited to the Geneva II conference but later retracted the invitation under pressure from the United States, Saudi Arabia and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition.

Iran 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.

Geneva II conference aimed at finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis ended on January 31 with no concrete results.

The so-called Syrian National Council (SNC) and its Western supporters insist that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must step down and a transitional government be formed in Syria.

However, Damascus rejects the demand, arguing that the SNC does not represent the Syrian opposition.

Attiyah went on to say that Qatar supports a peaceful solution to the standoff over Tehran’s nuclear energy program, and defends the right of every country for the civilian application of the nuclear energy. He also called for a Middle East free from nuclear weapons.

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program. Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that the Iranian nuclear program has been diverted toward military objectives.