GENEVA, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Iran remains a sticking point in plans for a conference to end the conflict in Syria, international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said on Friday, with the United States still refusing to let it participate.
But Brahimi said he would continue to work with Iranian officials if they were not officially invited. He said they had told U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that it would not be the end of the world if they were not present, and they would continue to work with him on the sidelines.
Brahimi said he wanted both the Syrian sides to release vulnerable prisoners, such as women and children, and to improve humanitarian access as a show of good faith before the Jan 22 conference. (Reporting by Tom Miles, editing by Stephanie Nebehay)
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