Iran could play a major role in the Syria peace talks by pressing President Bashar Assad’s government to participate in a transition process, the European Union’s foreign policy chief said Tuesday.

Federica Mogherini spoke to reporters shortly before meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the residence of Iran's ambassador to the United Nations. She is tasked with facilitating world powers’ talks with Iran in pursuit of a comprehensive nuclear deal that faces a June 30 deadline.

A nuclear deal could “open the way for a different role for Iran in the region,” she said, adding that she knows quite well the concerns of Arab countries that are wary of Iran’s growing influence in places like Syria, Yemen and Lebanon.

But talks on the Syrian conflict, now in its fifth year, should include all parties with influence, Mogherini said. Iran is a close ally of the Syrian government.

In any case, it would be naive to imagine that a country like Iran “could disappear from the map,” she said.

Iran has indicated it would take part in a new series of UN-led talks on Syria that begin in early May, as long as there are no preconditions. It did not participate in two sets of earlier negotiations.

This time, the UN special envoy on Syria, Staffan de Mistura, says these are not negotiations among the various parties in Syria but separate meetings with each to see what chances there are to bring them back to the table.

Past talks have failed over the key issue of whether Assad must go.

One major change since the last attempt of talks is the rise of the Islamic State group in parts of Syria over the past year, which has drawn together a number of wary partners in at least a common goal of fighting the extremists.

Secretary of State John Kerry also met with Zarif on Monday during a global gathering to discuss nuclear disarmament.

(Source: AP)