The United States denied Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif a visa to attend an upcoming United Nations event in New York City, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien confirmed on Jan. 7.
“I don’t think Secretary Pompeo thought that this was the right time for Mr. Zarif to come to the United States and whenever he comes to New York, he spreads propaganda,” O’Brien said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
“I actually find it somewhat ironic that Mr. Zarif wants to take advantage of the diplomatic niceties of being able to come to New York and come to the U.N. when his revolution was born in the taking of 52 American diplomats hostage in Iran and holding them for 444 days.”
“That undermined every principle of democracy,” added O’Brien. “So, I think he will be fine missing that meeting.”
Zarif can call in or participate via video teleconference, O’Brien said.
Zarif complained late Monday that his visa was denied, claiming Tuesday that the United States was violating the 1947 UNHQ agreement, which outlined rules governing the U.N. headquarters in New York. One of the rules lets foreign officials into the country to conduct U.N. business.
“What are they really afraid of? Truth?” he said.
The U.N.’s Security Council will meet on Thursday to discuss the U.N. charter. Zarif traveled to New York in September when world leaders gathered at the United Nations, meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and several other leaders.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Washington later Tuesday that the United States would honor the agreement reached decades ago.
“We don’t comment on visa matters, those traveling to the United States on visas,” he said. “I’ll say only this: We will always comply with our obligations under the U.N. requirements and the headquarters agreement. We will do so in this instance and, more broadly, every day.”
The decision came several days after a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.
O’Brien told reporters outside the White House Tuesday morning that there was “strong evidence” that Soleimani was planning attacks on American interests.
“Strong evidence and strong intelligence. Unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to get into sources and methods at this time,” O’Brien said. “But I can tell you it is very strong.”
“He was planning to kill, to attack American facilities, and diplomats, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, were located at those facilities,” he added.
Asked if the threat was gone, O’Brien said: “As long as there are bad actors in the world, there are always threats to Americans. And the Iranians have been making many, many threats to the United States over the past several days. We take those seriously and we’re watching and monitoring them.”
From The Epoch Times
