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| Iran and Iraq back plan for Syria-led transition: Annan |
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.jpg) International mediator Kofi Annan, the special envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League, said on Wednesday Iran and Iraq supported a plan for a political transition in Damascus led by Syria and that they would use their influence to try to push all parties in that direction.
He was speaking to reporters after briefing the UN Security Council on his trip to Syria as well as its ally Iran and Iraq, which has ties to Tehran
Annan has repeatedly said that regional heavyweight Iran should be involved in efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Syria crisis despite the West's firm rejection of any role, Reuters reported.
"In both Iran and Iraq the governments committed to supporting the six-point plan. They supported the idea of political transition, which will be Syrian-led, and allow the Syrians to decide on what their future political dispensation would be," Annan told reporters in Geneva.
"Obviously they will use their influence on the government and the parties in moving in that direction," he said.
The six-point plan brokered by Annan is supposed to resolve Syria's conflict with an immediate halt to the violence, withdrawal of heavy weapons and military forces from built-up areas, access for humanitarian aid and journalists and a political transition. But the April 12 ceasefire underpinning the plan, which is supported by all parties, never took hold.
Iran was not invited to a meeting on June 30 in Geneva where the United States, Russia and other states with an interest in the outcome of the conflict reached a loose agreement for a "political transition" based on "mutual consent", although they later disagreed about what that phrase meant.
On Wednesday Annan said that he expected the Security Council to decide on the next steps for Syria in the coming days and that Britain's ambassador had indicated Western powers would put forward a resolution.
Russia has already drafted a resolution to extend a UN mission in Syria for three months so it can shift focus from monitoring a non-existent truce to securing a political solution to the conflict.
Syrian rebels say Annan is ineffectual
Syrian rebels have said that Annan has been ineffectual. They want him removed from his special envoy role and are demanding tougher world action against President Assad, CNN reported.
Annan brokered a six-point peace plan in Syria in April, but opposition fighters and regime forces have largely shunned its mandates, including a call to lay down their weapons.
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