Jordanian Foreign Minister and President of the United Nations Security Council Nasser Judeh , right, listens to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council at U.N. headquarters, Monday, Jan. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
January 20, 2014 - 7:31 AM
The U.N. secretary-general says "intensive and urgent discussions are under way" around his invitation for Iran to join this week's peace talks on Syria.
Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council on Monday morning that he will have more to say on the subject later in the day. He announced the Iran invitation Sunday evening.
Senior U.S. officials say the invitation must be withdrawn unless Iran fully and publicly endorses the formation of a transitional government for Syria that would pave the way for democratic elections.
Syria's main Western-backed opposition group says Iran must commit publicly by 1900 GMT to withdraw its "troops and militias" from Syria and abide by those terms, or the U.N. should withdraw the invitation.
Iran is a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014