Iran slams US for Syria talks snub

Iranian officials blamed the Obama administration on Tuesday after its invitation to participate in Syrian peace talks was rescinded.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon invited Iran on Sunday but withdrew his offer a day later, following vociferous objections from the United States and Syrian rebels. The showdown threatened to derail the last-ditch peace effort backed by the U.S. and Russia before they even got started.

“The U.S. put pressure on Ban Ki-moon, and he was forced to cancel this invitation, which shows this international body is still under the influence of big powers, headed by the U.S.,” Iranian parliamentary leader Allaedin Boroujerdi said Tuesday, according to The Washington Post.

Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Montreux, Switzerland, for the talks. He is accompanied by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson and spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

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