An international peace conference for Syria is set to begin next week in Geneva. But the summit remains in doubt as Syrian opposition groups have yet to confirm their attendance. The main exile group, the Syrian National Coalition, has postponed a vote until later this week amidst continued internal disputes. On Sunday, Secretary of State John Kerry said he expects the opposition’s involvement.

Secretary of State John Kerry: “I am confident that he and others will be in Geneva in order to pursue this negotiation. And with respect to the Assad regime, we have been told that, from day one, they allegedly are prepared to negotiate, and Foreign Minister Lavrov on several occasions has told me they’re prepared to be there. So I am counting on both parties, as well as the 30-or-so-plus other nations to come together in an effort to try to end this violence.”

The United Nations and Russia have both called for an Iranian role in the talks, but the Obama administration continues to claim Tehran would not be taking part. Speaking last week, Kerry said Iran could potentially “contribute from the sidelines.”