Iran and Syria, the two Middle Eastern countries regarded as pariah states by the US administration, must work with the international community to stabilise peace in Lebanon and settle the crisis in the wider region if they want to be accepted as full members of the family of nations, according to Kofi Annan, secretary-general of the United Nations.

Speaking at the end of a hectic two-week diplomatic mission to the region, including visits to both Tehran and Damascus, Mr Annan said he believed both countries “will have to take some responsibilities” if they were to overcome their isolation. But after talks with both President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad in Iran and Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian head of state, he concluded that they were “very keen to be accepted . . . and have normal relations with the rest of the world.”