Lebanon won't attend Tehran meeting on Syria

Lebanon has informed Iran that it will not take part in an upcoming meeting on the Syrian conflict that Tehran is hosting, a Lebanese diplomatic official said on Tuesday. "The Lebanese foreign ministry has informed the Iranian authorities that Lebanon will not attend Thursday's meeting in Tehran, because it has never participated in any international meetings on Syria, in line with its policy of self-disassociation," the official told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity. Iran called for a ministerial meeting among states that have taken a "realistic and principled stand" on the Syrian crisis, Tehran said on Monday, adding representatives from 10 countries were expected to attend. Iran is Syrian President Bashar Assad's main regional ally. Lebanon has not attended any meetings of the so-called Friends of Syria group that brings together representatives from mainly Arab and Western states that support the opposition.