Iran’s president has said Syrian leader Bashar Assad has to remain in power to fight extremist groups like Islamic State (IS), and must not be weakened.

Iran has hailed a UN meeting on restarting nuclear talks as the beginning of a “new era” in relations with the West.

Iran will be ready to resume nuclear talks with world powers as soon as the country’s president-elect puts together his negotiating team, the foreign minister has said.

The United Nations Security Council has refused to back a report by a panel of experts which unanimously concluded that Iran broke UN sanctions when it launched ballistic missiles a year ago.