UN invites Syrian government, opposition to Geneva peace talks

United Nations Syria envoy Staffan De Mistura has invited the Syrian government and opposition groups for separate peace talks in Geneva next month, but no terror groups— such as the so-called Islamic State—will be represented, a U.N. spokesman said Friday, according to Fox News.

De Mistura has set plans for “low key” negotiations with representatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government and some opposition groups over a four to six-week period, in hopes of ending the four-year civil war that has killed more than 220,000 people.

"There will be no big meeting at the end. There will be no fanfare at the conclusion," U.N. spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said at a briefing Friday.

Fawzi told reporters major powers and regional players were asked to participate in the talks, but an invitation has not been extended to members of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) or the Jabhat al-Nusra group, which are classified as "terrorist organizations,”.

Some of the parties present at the talks would be able to communicate with the terror groups, Fawzi added.

A spokesman for de Mistura later said Iran is among the parties invited to attend the new series of peace talks that will start in early May in Geneva. Iran has not responded, Michael Contet said in an email.

Iran is among those invited to Switzerland, Fawzi told reporters.

Separate talks between several world powers and Iran on Iran's nuclear program may be settled by the end of June.

Fawzi said De Mistura hoped to report back to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Syria talks by June 30.