Iran “welcomes the convening of Geneva II” and is “ready to work within the framework set out in Geneva I to find a non-violent solution to the crisis,” according to Mohammad Khazaee, the ambassador and permanent representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, in an exclusive email interview with Al-Monitor’s Andrew Parasiliti.

Khazaee, who previously served as a member of Iran’s parliament and holds a masters degree in international economics from George Washington University, said, “Apart from the Syrian sides, all relevant regional and international partners that wield some influence over the parties and could help the Syrians move towards peace should participate in the conference and endeavor towards its success." He added, “Iran's participation in the conference will depend on the details that we will consider when we receive them.”

Iran has held two international conferences on Syria, including representatives of the Syrian government and opposition figures, and will host a third in Tehran on May 29.

Asked whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should step aside as part of a transition in Syria, Khazaee said that such a demand is not in accordance with the UN charter and international law, and referred to Iran’s own six-point plan for a transition, saying that “the political future of President Assad should and could be only decided through the ballot box, as it is the case in other countries where people's vote matters.”