Brahimi says he could work around Iranian absence from Syria talks

By Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) – Iran remains a sticking point in plans for a conference to end the conflict in Syria, international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said on Friday, with the United States still refusing to agree to Iran’s presence when talks begin on Jan 22. “On Iran, we haven’t agreed yet. But it is no secret that we in the United Nations welcome the participation of Iran,” Brahimi told a news conference in Geneva.