IRANIAN President Hassan Rouhani said yesterday that his country is ready to hold talks with the United States and Saudi Arabia on ending the Syrian civil war.

Mr Rouhani said: “Iran will sit at any table with regional countries and world powers if the outcome will be a safer, stable and democratic future for Syria.”

He added that his government’s position was part of Iran’s commitment to “international, Islamic and humane” norms.

Mr Rouhani was speaking at a press conference with his visiting Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer.

Iran and Russia have in recent weeks been leading efforts to secure a peace deal in Syria, but the US and Saudi Arabia back the anti-government rebellion now dominated by Islamic State (Isis) terrorists.

On Monday Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign as a condition for a peace deal, accusing those making this demand of being “responsible for the bloodshed in Syria.”