The U.N.'s chief nuclear inspector arrived in Iran on Sunday on a mission to clear up "outstanding substantive issues" on Tehran's atomic program, and called for dialogue with the Islamic state.

Before departing from Vienna airport, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief inspector Herman Nackaerts told reporters that talks were long overdue.

European and Arab U.N. members on Saturday started rewriting a proposed Security Council resolution condemning Syria's deadly crackdown on dissent after the Arab League suspended its monitoring mission in Syria.

European countries said the withdrawal highlighted the need for U.N. action. France's foreign minister contacted his Russia counterpart in a bid to overcome Moscow's resistance to the draft resolution officially presented on Friday, diplomats said.

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon urged the U.N. Security Council on Friday to speak with one voice on Syria, and called on Damascus to listen to the aspirations of its people.

"I hope that the Security Council will be able to act," said Ban, referring to a meeting later Friday at the United Nations on the crisis in Syria, where President Bashar Assad's regime is cracking down on a popular uprising.

The Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Major General Alberto Asarta Cuevas chaired on Thursday a regular tripartite meeting with senior officials from the Lebanese army and the Israel Defense Forces at the U.N. Position at Ras al-Naqoura crossing, said UNIFIL in a statement.

During the meeting all the issues relevant to the implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 were discussed, including the situation along the Line of Withdrawal (Blue Line), the ongoing visible marking of the Blue Line, violations and incidents as well as the issue of withdrawal of Israeli forces from northern Ghajar, it added.

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani are to head to New York on Saturday to seek support for an Arab plan on Syria, Arabi said.

The two will "hold a meeting with the U.N. Security Council on Monday to seek ratification of the Arab League decision on Syria," for President Bashar Assad to hand power to his deputy, Arabi said.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea hoped on Thursday that a statement issued by the Syrian National Council would put Lebanese-Syrian relations on the right path and called for U.N. Security Council action if Lebanon comes under attack by Syria.

The Council, which is Syria’s leading opposition movement, said Wednesday that it wants to start a new chapter in the complex and often-troubled relationship with Lebanon.

Russia said Wednesday it was "open to constructive proposals" on Syria but remained opposed to any U.N. resolution that tried to force all nations to respect sanctions previously imposed by the West.

"We are open to constructive proposals that go in line with the set task of ending violence," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following talks with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

European and Arab nations want a U.N. Security Council vote next week on a resolution condemning Syria's crackdown on protests and hinting at sanctions, diplomats said Tuesday.

Britain, France, Germany and Arab nations are working on the resolution which could face Russian opposition because of a call on all states to follow Arab League sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria said on Tuesday it will spurn further Arab efforts to resolve its political crisis, as Gulf states piled on pressure by deciding to pull out their observers and urging strong U.N. action.

The Arab League said its monitors would be confined to base from Wednesday unless Damascus gives its approval for the mission to continue for a second month after an informal extension ran out.

A member of Russia's Parliament, Mikhail Margelov, said Monday that Moscow ran out of methods to stop the international push for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.

Russia's veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria "was the last instrument allowing Bashar Assad to maintain the status quo in the international arena,” Margelov was quoted as saying by Russia's Itar-Tass news agency.