Iran has accepted UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s invitation to take part in the Geneva II Peace Talks taking place this week in Switzerland, with the aim of ending Syria’s Civil War.  Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif assured Mr. Ban that Tehran would play a positive role in securing a transitional government in Syria.

“I believe the expanded international presence on that day will be an important and useful show of solidarity in advance of the hard work that the Syrian government and opposition delegations will begin two days later in Geneva,” Ban said.

Iran is an important ally of President Bashar Assad.  However, Ban says he is “convinced” that Iran supports the Geneva Communique, which calls for a “Syrian-led political process leading to a transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.”  The US had long opposed the idea of including Iran in the talks, but softened its stance recently.

Syria's main political opposition group the Syrian National Congress earlier agreed to attend the meeting, after overcoming internal disagreement between the rebel factions that make up the body.  The decision also followed much cajoling from the rebel’s backers in Washington and London.

The Geneva II talks are scheduled to begin Wednesday in the town of Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline.