UNITED NATIONS: In an abrupt reversal on Monday, the United Nations barred Iran from the peace conference on Syria after it refused to back calls for a transitional government to end the country’s strife.

The unprecedented diplomatic action averted a Syrian opposition boycott of the talks, which are scheduled to start in the Swiss town of Montreux on Wednesday.

But a key bloc in the opposition coalition broke away in protest against the proposed talks with President Bashar al Assad’s representatives.

Indeed, besides the division between the opposition groups, the negotiations face major obstacles to ending a horrific civil war that has left well over 100,000 people dead.

In an interview published on Monday, President Assad ruled out a power-sharing deal. And new attacks spilled over into neighbouring countries.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon withdrew his surprise invitation to Iran, a major Assad backer, less than 24 hours after he announced it.

Despite the offer to take part at the peace talks, Iran refused to back a communique adopted by an international meeting on Syria in June 2012 which called for a transitional government in Damascus. The UN leader said Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif had repeatedly assured him that he “understood and supported” the aim of the peace conference was to set up an interim government.

“The secretary general is deeply disappointed by Iranian public statements today that are not at all consistent with that stated commitment,” said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.—AFP