Cameron to meet Iran's president Rouhani over Syria intervention
Historic first talks between leaders of two nations since 1979 revolution will focus on Islamic State

David Cameron will this week become the first British Prime Minister to hold talks with an Iranian president since the country's 1979 revolution. Cameron and Hassan Rouhani will discuss the possibility of Iran supporting a US-led coalition to fight fundamentalists in Syria.
The bilateral talks, to be held in New York where both men are attending a UN general assembly, are also remarkable because the idea that Iran might support the country it dubs the 'Great Satan' in carrying out a military campaign in the Middle East would have been unthinkable until very recently.
Iran has so far been excluded from all international talks about Syria and has supported the country's embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, during the country's civil war says The Guardian. Nor was it allowed to join the recent Paris summit on how to combat the threat of Islamic State.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, Rouhani has been a "fierce critic" of IS, says the paper. Rather than condemning the US air strikes on the militants he has said that "maybe it is necessary". Before travelling to New York, he even criticised Obama for his unwillingness to commit ground troops to the fight.
Rouhani said: "Are Americans afraid of giving casualties on the ground in Iraq? Are they afraid of their soldiers being killed in the fight they claim is against terrorism?
"If they want to use planes and if they want to use unmanned planes so that nobody is injured from the Americans, is it really possible to fight terrorism without any hardship, without any sacrifice?
"Maybe it is necessary for air strikes in some conditions and some circumstances. However, air strikes should take place with the permission of the people of that country and the government of that country."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The US began air strikes on IS in Syria, as opposed to Iraq, yesterday, in concert with unspecified Arab nation allies, while the Daily Telegraph reported last night that RAF Tornado aircraft stationed in the Middle East have been "ready to go for weeks".
However, the paper says while David Cameron is willing to join the US in carrying out air strikes on IS in Iraq, he will stop short of bombing Syria, because he is "acutely aware of opposition in all three political parties to a Syria intervention".
-
Frauds: ‘fantastically stylish’ crime heist caper is a ‘triumph’
The Week Recommends Suranne Jones and Jodie Whittaker play a pair of ex-cons planning one last job
-
The struggles of Aston Martin
In the Spotlight The car manufacturer, famous for its association with the James Bond franchise, is ‘running out of road’
-
The end of ‘golden ticket’ asylum rights
The Explainer Refugees lose automatic right to bring family over and must ‘earn’ indefinite right to remain
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations