Syria's main opposition group in exile said there can be no role for President Bashar Assad in any future transitional government.
In a statement, the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition also urged the international community to "prove its seriousness" ahead of a planned peace conference by securing humanitarian corridors so that aid can reach besieged areas of the country.
Tuesday's statement follows a United Nations announcement that the warring sides in Syria would attend a conference in Geneva on Jan. 22 the first face-to-face talks to end the Syrian civil war.
Huge gaps remain however, particularly when it comes to Assad's future role. The coalition said the world must pressure Assad to allow aid to reach rebel-held areas ahead of the talks.
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Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday Iran was prepared to take part in the Syria peace talks in Geneva, slated for Jan. 22, if invited.
"Participation of Iran in Geneva 2 is in our view an important contribution to the resolution of the problem. We have said all along that if Iran is invited, we will participate without any preconditions," Zarif said on Press TV.
This comes as the head of the Free Syrian Army said that rebel forces loyal to him would not join a planned peace conference in Switzerland in January and would continue their fight to topple President Bashar al-Assad throughout the talks.
"Conditions are not suitable for running the Geneva 2 talks at the given date, and we, as a military and revolutionary force, will not participate in the conference," General Salim Idriss told the pan-Arab news channel Al Jazeera.
"We will not stop combat at all during the Geneva conference or after it, and what concerns us is getting needed weapons for our fighters."
UN envoy: Syria war fueling Iraq terrorist threat
The top U.N. envoy in Iraq said the conflict in neighboring Syria is helping fuel terrorism and sectarian tensions in Iraq, enabling groups like al-Qaeda to forge links with similar factions across the border.
Nickolay Mladenov told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that resolving the Syrian crisis and adopting a regional strategy against all forms of religious or sectarian extremism "are vital to bringing stability to Iraq."
He said deteriorating security in Iraq is being exploited by terrorists and armed groups trying to incite sectarian hatred and undermine the government and elected officials.
The Security Council condemned the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Iraq "in the strongest terms" and stressed that "no terrorist act can reverse a path towards peace, democracy and reconstruction" in the country.
Syria polio cases spread to Damascus and Aleppo
The World Health Organization said that additional polio cases had been confirmed in two new areas of Syria, including near Damascus and in northern Aleppo, near Turkey, according to the agency's twitter account.
"In addition to 15 polio cases in Deir al-Zor province, Syria, two additional cases have been confirmed, one each in rural Damascus and Aleppo," the tweet said.
The incurable virus was confirmed this month in 13 children who became paralyzed. The WHO says polio is expected to spread after a drop in vaccination rates due to the war.
On the field:
Syrian state TV said a suicide car bombing outside a bus station near Damascus has killed at least 15 people.
State television said Tuesday's attack took place in the Sumariyah area southwest of the capital, wounding more than 30.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also put the death toll at 15. It said nine civilians and six government troops were killed.
No further details were immediately available.
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REUTERS