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.