DHAKA: The UN secretary-general has withdrawn his invitation to Iran to join this week’s Syria peace talks, saying he is ‘deeply disappointed’ by Iran’s statements on Monday.

A spokesman for Ban Ki-moon announced the withdrawal less than 24 hours after Ban surprised the US and others by saying he had invited Syria’s closest regional ally.

The withdrawn invitation came shortly after Iran’s UN ambassador declared the Islamic Republic would not join the Syria talks if required to accept 2012 Geneva roadmap.

‘The statement today in Tehran by the foreign ministry spokesperson fell short by some measure of what the secretary-general expected to hear,’ said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky, adding that the UN has been in close contact with the US and Russians over the weekend.

Nesirky said senior Iranian officials had assured Ban that Iran understood the terms of his invitation.

‘The Secretary-General is deeply disappointed by Iranian public statements today that are not at all consistent with that stated commitment,’` Nesirky said.

‘He continues to urge Iran to join the global consensus behind the Geneva Communique.’

The talks are set to begin Wednesday in the Swiss city of Montreux, with delegations from the United States, Russia and close to 40 other countries attending.

Face-to-face negotiations between the Syrian government and its opponents, the first since the three-year civil war began, start Friday in Geneva, reports Al Jazeera.

BDST: 1507 HRS, JAN 21, 2014