Iran's president backs Syria ceasefire proposal

Iran backs the idea of a ceasefire in Syria during an Islamic holiday next week and believes free elections are the right way to help resolve the 19-month-old conflict, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said according to Iran's state news agency.

Lakhdar Brahimi, the international mediator on Syria, has proposed that both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebel fighters seeking his overthrow stop fighting during the Eid al Adha festival, which starts next week. (Reuters)