Islam Times - Denying My Visa Violation of 1947 UNHQ Agreement: Zarif

Islam Times - Reacting to the US’ move in refusing to issue a visa for his attendance at a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday, in a tweet on Monday Iranian FM Zarif lamented that denying his visa by the US is violation of 1947 UNHQ Agreement.

Zarif tweeted:

"Denying me a visa in violation of 1947 UNHQ Agreement pales in comparison to:

-Pompeo's threat to starve Iranians (crime against humanity)

-Trump's bluster about cultural heritage (war crime) -#EconomicTerrorism

-Cowardly assassination But what are they really afraid of? Truth?"

Earlier on Monday and speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Tehran Dialogue Forum, Zarif said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had told the UN secretary-general that the visa was not issued due to time restraint.

“The UN secretary-general, in turn, said that Iran has a right to attend the meeting,” Zarif said, adding “I wasn’t too keen on attending the meeting either, given the current situation.”

The Iranian diplomat went on to add, “the Security Council's meeting was a good opportunity to discuss the US crimes, but a government that carries out state and economic terrorism and threatens with war crimes and crimes against humanity does not care about violating the provisions of the UN headquarters agreement.”

Zarif was referring to the 1947 UN “headquarters agreement,” which obliges the United States to allow access to the United Nations for foreign diplomats.

The Iranian diplomat went on to add, “Everyone must ask this rogue regime what it is so scared of. Is it really that much of a danger for the foreign minister of a UN founder and member state to attend a meeting in support of the UN Charter and multilateralism that the United States would refuse to issue the visas?”