*TEHRAN: *Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and his delegation could beforced into skipping next week’s UN General Assembly because the UnitedStates has yet to issue them visas, state media said Wednesday.
Rouhani and his delegation had been scheduled to travel to New York for theannual UN gathering on Monday, but that was now looking unlikely, statenews agency IRNA said.
“If the visas aren’t issued in a few hours, this trip will probably becanceled,” it reported.
The delegation includes Iran’s top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif, againstwhom the United States imposed sanctions on July 31.
The foreign minister had been due to travel to New York on Friday morning,according to IRNA.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to comment specifically on thecase, but he suggested the Iranians should be denied visas.
“We don’t talk about granting or absence of granting of visas,” Pompeo toldreporters travelling with him to Saudi Arabia.
“If you’re connected to a foreign terrorist organisation, I don’t know,” headded.
“Seems to me it would be a reason to think about whether they have to bepermitted to attend a meeting which is about peace.”
The US has blamed Iran for weekend attacks on two Saudi oil installationsas well as a string of assaults on shipping in sensitive Gulf waters.
Despite Pompeo’s remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressedhope that the delegation would get their visas following intervention fromthe world body.
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“We have been in contact with the host-state to solve all outstanding visaproblems in relation to delegations and I hope that this will allow solvingthe problem,” he said.
The absence of Rouhani would ruin France’s bid to arrange a meeting betweenhim and Trump as part of European efforts to de-escalate tensions betweenthe arch-foes.
“Iran’s absence will show that in contrast with its commitments to theUnited Nations and international organisations within the framework ofagreements, diplomacy has no value for the United States,” IRNA said.
“Although the Islamic Republic of Iran has not left the scene and itcontinues its active diplomacy, the US government must answer for itsbehaviour.”
The UN General Assembly debate is due to begin on Tuesday.
As the host government, the United States is generally obliged to issuevisas to diplomats who serve at UN headquarters.
But Iran and the United States have been at loggerheads since May last yearwhen Trump abandoned a 2015 nuclear deal and began reimposing sanctions inits campaign of “maximum pressure”.
Iran responded by scaling back its commitments under the landmark accord,which gave it the promise of sanctions relief in return for limiting thescope of its nuclear programme. -APP/AFP
