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Iran doubts US goals in Syria talks

Iran's deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said Iran will decide whether to participate in the next round of Vienna II talks on Syria after reviewing whether the United States is working behind the scenes to push its own agenda.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during a news conference in Moscow, Russia, September 22, 2015. Amir-Abdollahian said on Tuesday his country had no troops or military advisers in Syria or Yemen, the RIA news agency reported. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev - RTX1RTQL

In an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency Nov. 12, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, said Iran is currently reviewing whether it will attend the Vienna II talks on Syria scheduled for Nov. 14.

Asked why Iran had not yet made a decision on its participation, Abdollahian said, “Some of the players, such as the Americans, in the last week have taken actions that look like they are pushing forward their own ideas and also consulting specific countries.” He added, “If this is accurate, and it becomes clear to us, … then certainly we will [reconsider] our participation in Vienna II.” Abdollahian did not go into detail about the alleged US actions.

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