The path to Montreux as envisaged by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been interrupted. The secretary-general issued an invitation to Iran to participate in the deliberations of the terms of reference that Geneva II will be discussing on Jan. 22.

The UN, on the part of both the secretary-general and the special envoy, was persuaded that Iran’s presence and participation might expedite the resolution of the crisis, especially in view of the Rouhani regime having just complied in the last couple of days with the terms of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) agreement on the nuclear issue.

It seems, however, that two factors led to Iran’s absence in the Geneva II negotiations: The delegation of the Syrian opposition threatened to withdraw — itself, in my view, an error — and also the United States and other participants claiming that Iran did not agree fully with the terms of reference for a solution of the Syrian crisis spelled out in the Geneva I conference.

This reason, in my view, while on the surface seems logical, is not wise, for many developments and far more casualties have taken place in Syria between the Geneva I conference and the one taking place on Jan. 22.