US officials say Iran is being invited to participate for the first time in international talks aimed at peacefully ending Syria's four-year civil war.
| Sure, why not, we've given away the store already... |
The next diplomatic round starts Thursday in Vienna. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and several top European and Arab diplomats will attend.
The officials said Russia delivered the invitation; Iran has yet to respond.
Washington had held out the possibility of Iran joining the discussions. But Syria's Western-backed opposition and U.S. allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, opposed such a move.
| Which is why Champ is for it... |
Iran has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad's government throughout the conflict, fighting alongside Syria's military. The US and its allies sorta support the opposition. |