Moves by the US and Israel to isolate Iran suffered a set-back when UN chief Ban Ki-moon announced that he would join representatives from 120 nations in Tehran next week at a summit of Non-Aligned countries.
Ban's decision to attend the meeting, announced by hisspokesman Martin Nesirky yesterday, came despite strong objections raised byAmerican and Israelis including a phone call to UN chief by Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israelis have warned that the Iranian leaders will exploitthe conference to create an impression of legitimacy for their policies. The UShas also given a call to nations to stay away from the event scheduled forlater this month.
Among top level delegations who will be attending the summitare Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, new Egyptian President Mohammed Mursiand Cuban leader Raul Castro.
The meeting would also be attended by North Korea's nominalhead of state Kim Yong Nam.
The UN Secretary-General's decision to go to Tehran comes ata time when tensions are mounting in the Persian Gulf, with Iran defyingSecurity Council resolutions to halt its uranium enrichment and Tehran's strongbacking for the Assad regime in Syria.
Ban will "convey the clear concerns and expectations ofthe international community" on Iran's nuclear programme, terrorism, humanrights and the Syria war, Nesirky said.
Nesirky said that the UN leader would "discussfrankly" the Syrian crisis but believed that Iran must be part of thesolution, and that he would raise the other topics.
"By going he is making the extent of internationalconcern all that much clearer," Nesirky told reporters.
