DHAKA: Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday the United Nations had abruptly withdrawn Tehran’s invitation to highly anticipated peace talks on Syria ‘under pressure’.

‘We regret that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has withdrawn the invitation under pressure,’ Zarif said in remarks reported by the ISNA news agency.

The Straits Times publishes this report.

BDST: 1551 HRS, JAN 21, 2014